A U.S. missile strike has killed British-born Rashid Rauf, the suspected mastermind of a 2006 al Qaeda plot to blow up 10 trans-Atlantic jets with liquid explosives, according to reports in Pakistan. An unmanned drone killed Rauf and at least four other al Qaeda militants in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan. The missile strike was one of at least 20 similar and controversial American assaults on al Qaeda targets in that region. The Pakistani government, which maintains that the drone attacks are fanning the flames of anti-Americanism and Islamic extremism, would prefer to deal with terrorists on its own. But the American military has become increasingly impatient with Pakistan's efforts to curb terrorism within its borders. Despite complaints, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he will not cut off anti-terror cooperation with America. He hopes Barack Obama will focus more on equipping Pakistani troops so they can root out terrorists within the country.
