Saying sorry is hard for world leaders, too. President Obama will not formally apologize to Pakistan for NATO airstrikes last weekend that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers. The State Department had encouraged Obama to apologize, with the U.S. ambassador arguing it would help defuse growing anger. But the Defense Department balked, saying senior defense officials and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had already apologized. According to The New York Times, some Obama administration officials worried that he would expose himself to Republican attacks by ignoring the Defense Department’s advice.
