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Pakistan welcomes Barack Obama drone speech UN rapporteur Emmerson hails 'historic' Obama drone vow
(34 minutes later)
Pakistani officials have welcomed a speech by US President Barack Obama vowing to rethink the use of drones, which have killed hundreds in Pakistan. The lawyer leading a UN drone inquiry has praised a speech by US President Barack Obama as a "significant step towards increased transparency".
The foreign ministry said it appreciated that Mr Obama had acknowledged "force alone cannot make us safe" in his speech on Thursday . Ben Emmerson said Mr Obama had broken new ground in his speech on Thursday by affirming his commitment to ending the armed conflict with al-Qaeda.
However, Mr Obama also pledged to continue using drones and insisted the US was fighting a "just war". Pakistan, the focus of many drone strikes, broadly welcomed the speech.
The Pakistani ministry reiterated that drone strikes were counter-productive. Mr Obama pledged to continue drone attacks with tighter oversight of the programme and the rules for targeting.
Mr Emmerson, a United Nations human rights special rapporteur, launched an inquiry into drones in January, saying their use "represents a real challenge to the framework of international law".
The inquiry is examining 25 attacks, in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, the Palestinian territories and Somalia.
He said in a statement that Mr Obama's speech had broken new ground on a number of issues.
"It sets out more clearly and more authoritatively than ever before the administration's legal justifications for targeted killing, and the constraints that it operates under," he said.
"The publication of the procedural guidelines for the use of force in counter-terrorism operations is a significant step towards increased transparency and accountability."
The Pakistani foreign ministry, while reiterating that drone strikes were counter-productive, said it appreciated that Mr Obama acknowledged "force alone cannot make us safe".
The issue is hugely controversial in Pakistan, where parts of the government and military are often accused of ignoring or even condoning some of the drone strikes.The issue is hugely controversial in Pakistan, where parts of the government and military are often accused of ignoring or even condoning some of the drone strikes.
According to several estimates, US strikes in Pakistan hit a peak in 2010 when more than 100 drone attacks were reported.According to several estimates, US strikes in Pakistan hit a peak in 2010 when more than 100 drone attacks were reported.
Last year, the number was thought to be fewer than 50.Last year, the number was thought to be fewer than 50.