Notwithstanding Pakistan's strong reaction to US-led coalition forces' raids against militants on its soil, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin has said Washington had the right of anticipatory self defence and it must leave no option off the table.
Bush orders military strikes inside Pakistan: Report
"I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying America, and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table," she said in an interview to ABC News when asked if Washington had the right to make cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghanistan.
US forces strike inside Pakistan territory again; 12 killed
The Alaska Governor's comments on foreign policy pertaining to Pakistan come at a time when Islamabad has expressed outrage at the US-led coalition forces attacks inside the country following reports that President George W Bush may have personally signed off on this new policy.
"If there is legitimate and enough intelligent, and legitimate evidence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country," Palin said.
"As for our right to invade, we are going to work with these countries, building new relationships, working with existing allies, but forging new also, in order to get to a point in this world, where war is not going to be a first option. In fact, war has got to be and military strike a last option," she said.
Palin said that 'in order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America, and our allies, we must do whatever it takes, and we must not blink. In making those tough decisions of where we go, and even who we target.'