Sunday, July 31, 2011

Drones In Pakistan

This program does not exist, and Pakistan does not help it

Drones in Pakistan: Out Of The Blue -- The Economist

A growing controversy over the use of unmanned aerial strikes.

ONE day in March an American drone circled above Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area, zeroed in on a gathering of village men, some of whom were armed, and unleashed three missiles in quick succession. It turned out to be a meeting to settle a dispute over a chromite mine. Most of the 40 or so killed were civilians, according to accounts, though a dozen Taliban also died in the attack, including a local commander, Sherabat Khan. The Taliban nowadays often adjudicate quarrels in the tribal areas, a wild buffer zone that runs along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

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My Comment: Because there are no other viable options (short of sending ground forces into Pakistan), this is the best bet that we have so far.

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