May 16, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

WASHINGTON, May 15: The United States is refusing to comment on the missile attack on Damadola but has toughened its stance on a proposed agreement with the militants, saying that any deal Pakistan reaches with them should be “worth more than the paper it is written on”.

A number of people were killed in a missile attack on Damadola, a village in the Bajaur Agency, on Wednesday. The blast, which locals and some officials blamed on a US missile strike, could affect ongoing peace talks between pro-Taliban militants and government officials.

A US State Department official, when contacted by Dawn for comments, advised this correspondent to contact Pakistani authorities.

“We saw the reports. We are basically referring people to Pakistani authorities,” he said.

Asked why should Pakistani authorities talk about an attack which was reportedly carried out by a US drone, the official said: “We do not have any details about it. We have seen press reports. This is something Pakistani authorities would know more about than we do”.

Also on Thursday, a Pentagon official urged Pakistan to make sure that whatever deal they sign with the militants in Fata “is worth more than the paper it is written on”.

US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has also expressed concern over Islamabad’s efforts to sign a peace deal with tribal militants.

“You can’t put restrictions on the military and let militants go free,” said Mr Boucher, referring apparently to a similar agreement in 2006 which led to Pakistan stopping military operations against the militants.

The United States says that the militants did not respect their part of the agreement which required them to lay down arms, stop cross-border operations into Afghanistan and cease terrorist activities. Instead, they exploited the peace deal to regroup and rearm.

At the Pentagon, Press Secretary Geoff Morrell expressed similar concerns.

“It is our hope that any deals which are cut with militants operating in that area … are enforceable,” he said. “A deal is only worth something if it can be enforced (and is not) violated by those who are signatory to it.”

The US, he said, was “imploring” the Pakistani government also to ensure that “if there are irreconcilables, they are dealt with severely”.

Asked what would the US suggest to enforce a possible deal, Mr Morrell said: “These are things that the Pakistani government will have to determine. We are just encouraging them to make sure that it is a deal that is worth more than the paper it’s written on.”

The Pentagon spokesman also gave the impression that Pakistan is not consulting the US over its talks with the militants.