Pakistan Concedes U.S. Drone Strikes Are Effective, But Still Wants Them To Stop

U.S. Reaper drones at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. One is armed with two 500-lb bombs. Source: GlobalPost

Pakistan Concedes Advantages To US Drone Strikes -- Military.com/AP

Pakistan on Tuesday acknowledged "tactical advantages" to U.S. drone strikes on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but appeared to shrug off the unexpected confirmation by Washington of attacks on its soil.

The remarks from Pakistan's foreign ministry came as President Barack Obama confirmed for the first time that drone aircraft had targeted Islamist militants in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal areas on the Afghan border.

"Notwithstanding tactical advantages of drone strikes, we are of the firm view that these are unlawful, counterproductive and hence unacceptable," ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told AFP in a text message.

"Our view has always been very clear and position principled," he added.

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My Comment: Pakistan concedes on the effectiveness of drone strikes .... but wants it to stop. Talk about .... having one's cake and eating it too.