Islamic Conservatives Urge U.S. Forces to Go

Hard-line Islamic groups in Pakistan urged Washington to pull its troops out of the region, saying a clash Sunday between U.S. and Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border exposed the dangers of the U.S. presence.

Meanwhile, an American military spokeswoman said a Pakistani border guard who apparently triggered the skirmish by shooting and wounding a U.S. soldier was detained by Pakistan. After the shooting, the U.S. dropped a bomb, killing two Pakistani guards.

The clash inspired a new wave of anti-American rhetoric in northwestern Pakistan, where hard-line politicians are upset over Pakistan’s decision to back the U.S.-led overthrow of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.