Mark Mazzetti And Helene Cooper The New York Times

The White House has decided that President Obama will not offer formal condolences - at least for now - to Pakistan for the deaths of two dozen soldiers in NATO airstrikes last week, overruling State Department officials who argued for such a show of remorse to help salvage America's relationship with Pakistan, administration officials said.

The White House has decided that President Obama will not offer formal condolences - at least for now - to Pakistan for the deaths of two dozen soldiers in NATO airstrikes last week, overruling State Department officials who argued for such a show of remorse to help salvage America's relationship with Pakistan, administration officials said.