Drone attack reported in Pakistan

Drone attack reported in Pakistan

news.bbc.co.uk

Pakistan is critical of the drone tactic because, it says, civilians are often killed, fuelling support for militants.

Most missile strikes by drones have targeted foreign fighters in the Waziristan region over the past couple of years.

The BBC's Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says the strikes are now also targeting facilities run by local or Afghan Taleban in the lower Kurram region, from where attacks have been launched into the Khost and Paktia provinces of Afghanistan.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I was relatively shocked by this move, as far as I've seen this attack wasn't authorised and Pakistan have recently stated they would accept help from the United States but will not allow military personnel to operate within their borders.

They say that the unmanned aircraft fired missiles at two vehicles in the Makin area of South Waziristan, which is fairly deep across the border zone so this clearly couldn't be passed off as an accident.

It is also believed nobody has the capability to launch such an attack using drones other than the United States military, which would lead me to believe this could seriously hinder the Americans wishes to held eradicate the militant groups within the Pakistani borders.

Wednesday's attack was the seventh missile strike believed to have been carried out by US drones since President Barack Obama came to power.

Correspondents say that more than 35 similar strikes have killed more than 340 people since August 2008, is this a clear sign of the Unite States lack of respect for international law?

Also begs the question in my mind, are the stories fabricated as to falsely represent the United States as the prime candidate... or does anybody else potentially have these capabilities within that region.

Personally, I'm quickly losing even more faith in our aliiances recent military actions.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

They are the US's drones. Well, the CIA's to be more accurate.

However, it appears that this may be a case of one thing being said to the public and an agreement being in place between the US and Pakistan that contridicts the public statements.

It wasn't widelly reported in the MSM but a little bit ago Sen. Feinstein let slip a little nugget that these dones are often actually coming from inside Pakistan.

Who’s lying on drones?

THE Shamsi airbase that is tucked away in remote Balochistan is located at a distance of 50 km from the Afghan border. Little known outside military circles, it is now commanding front page news due to the latest controversy surrounding US-led Predator attacks in Pakistan. This has resulted in a new twist in the debate about drone attacks, throwing the Pakistan government into disarray with many a strong denial being issued. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Chairwoman of the US National Intelligence Committee, revealed that the attacks were originating from within Pakistan

Another source also confrimed that an agreement to do this exists between the US and Pakistan.

CBS News - Officials Confirm CIA Drones In Pakistan

Pakistan, the U.S., and other NATO member countries have had a quiet, unwritten agreement for the past three to five years to allow the CIA to fly unmanned drones out of remote airstrips in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, a senior military official from a NATO country confirmed to CBS News on Thursday.

In the past week, speculation has mounted over the extent to which Pakistan was aware of such flights, amid evidence that at least some of the drones were being launched from airstrips in remote Pakistani regions.

This evidence suggests that Pakistan is publicly denouncing these attacks while secretly having an agreement with the US to allow them. My guess is that the public outcry they make is just to keep their citizens from being too angry with them - allow the blame to be placed on the US. But, the agreement allows the targeting of people who could pose a threat to the stablity of their govt.



[edit on 25-3-2009 by Frogs]

reply to post by Frogs


I was actually thinking this prior to posting, slipped my mind when adding the initial post. Certainly by far the most viable reasoning in my mind.

Also, I think through all the statements I've read from Pakistani statesmen they always seem to specifically state 'personnel' rather than 'military,' perhaps insignificant but you never know. Could well be purposely stated in such a way.

I realise if drones where stationed within Pakistan it would also require US personnel, but for the public to prove personnel where located within Pakistan and launching from within the borders in another issue altogether.

These are the MILITARY's drones. NOT the CIA's. This go ahead to build this base was made by Musharaff because he knew he couldn't handle the tribal regions and outside of the US sending troops in , which would have caused a civil war, this was his safest bet. Appease both. Now that he is not in power the PTB in Pakistan understand our role and agree that we need to handle this situation in the tribal region. The PROPAGANDA that these drones are indiscrimiatley are targeting NONCOMS is BS. The USAF owns and operates this base under the umbrella of the SOCOM here in Tampa. CIA provides on the ground intel. Nothing more. Unless the use thier own assets. And when they do it will not show up on CNN.

[edit on 25-3-2009 by djvexd]