Most killed in drone strikes are militants : GOC 7 Div
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Durrak
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AgNoStiC MuSliM
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Times OF India.....
Refrain from these kinds of comments please. This is nothing but trolling and flaming.
Learn to distinguish between an opinion, and a quotation from the direct source, and the identity of the source.
In this case the Indian paper is directly quoting a Pakistani Military source, with name and rank. That should be easy enough to check to ensure the accuracy of the report, and indeed Ahmad has quoted a Pakistani source reporting the same.
It is typically opinions and 'anonymous sources' that are controversial and should be treated with skepticism.
AgNoStiC MuSliM
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Very interesting report. It does not deny that civilian casualties have taken place in drone strikes, but it indicates that the majority of those killed have been terrorists.
Given that the PA/ISI is reportedly involved in providing a significant amount of intelligence on the ground for these strikes, they would likely be the ones with the most accurate analysis of the casualties.
sparklingway
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Two star generals do not give personal opinions on such an important topic, especially when they are handing out papers with figures. The spin is underway.
Published: March 9, 2011
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan In an unusual briefing, a top Pakistani general leading troops in the volatile North Waziristan region has acknowledged the effectiveness of the American drone strikes against foreign militants, according to reports in the local media.
The attacks by the American drones, operated by the C.I.A., are immensely controversial in the country and are often attributed as one of the major reasons of surge in anti-American sentiment.
Publicly, the Pakistani government and the powerful military condemn the drone strikes, though privately they acknowledge their utility. But the controversy around the drone strikes have become an essential staple of the national discourse. Opposition political parties and Islamists have called the drone attacks a violation of the countrys sovereignty and have raised questions about their legality.
Dawn, considered the countrys leading English daily, quoted Maj. Gen. Mehmood Ghayur, general officer commanding of the armys 7th division in North Waziristan, as saying that myths and rumors about U.S. Predator strikes and the casualty figures are many, but its a reality that many of those being killed in these strikes are hardcore elements, a sizeable number of them foreigners.
The general was briefing a group of local Peshawar-based journalists on a rare trip to Miram Shah, the main city in North Waziristan.
According to details listed in the generals briefing and quoted by Dawn, militants of several nationalities have been singled out in drone attacks. The diverse nationalities of the militants show the extent to which Pakistans tribal regions straddling the border with Afghanistan have been infiltrated by foreign fighters, mostly affiliated with Al Qaeda.
Dawn quoted the commander as saying that between 2007 and 2011, about 164 drone strikes had been carried out, killing more than 964 militants. Of those killed, 793 were local residents and 171 foreigners, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Chechens, Filipinos and Moroccans.
Last year was the deadliest for drone attacks in the region, with 103 strikes killing 423 militants, including 133 foreigners, the commander was quoted as saying. In 2008, 23 drone strikes killed 152 militants, 12 of them foreigners or affiliated with Al Qaeda. And in 2009, about 20 strikes killed 179 militants, including 20 foreigners.
Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the spokesman for the Pakistani Army, played down the remarks of General Ghayur in an interview on Wednesday evening, calling them a personal assessment that was reported without proper context.
General Abbas emphasized that the army supports the public policy of the government that drone strikes inside Pakistani territory do more harm than good.
The collateral damage by drone strikes create a huge impact within the country, he said.
But Cyril Almeida, a columnist at Dawn, saw the briefing as a positive move.
Given the context, and recent history of the drone strikes, it is really unusual that they have gone public, Mr. Almeida said. Who knows what lies behind it, but it is definitely a good thing. A lot of the people have pointed that there have been lesser protests in the tribal areas over drones as compared to Pakistan proper. The issue has become a bit of a political football.
Anything that brings more clarity on drone strikes in terms of a frank assessment, as opposed to spin, makes sense, Mr. Almeida said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/asia/10drones.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Pakistani General, in Twist, Credits U.S. Drone Strikes
By SALMAN MASOODPublished: March 9, 2011
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan In an unusual briefing, a top Pakistani general leading troops in the volatile North Waziristan region has acknowledged the effectiveness of the American drone strikes against foreign militants, according to reports in the local media.
The attacks by the American drones, operated by the C.I.A., are immensely controversial in the country and are often attributed as one of the major reasons of surge in anti-American sentiment.
Publicly, the Pakistani government and the powerful military condemn the drone strikes, though privately they acknowledge their utility. But the controversy around the drone strikes have become an essential staple of the national discourse. Opposition political parties and Islamists have called the drone attacks a violation of the countrys sovereignty and have raised questions about their legality.
Dawn, considered the countrys leading English daily, quoted Maj. Gen. Mehmood Ghayur, general officer commanding of the armys 7th division in North Waziristan, as saying that myths and rumors about U.S. Predator strikes and the casualty figures are many, but its a reality that many of those being killed in these strikes are hardcore elements, a sizeable number of them foreigners.
The general was briefing a group of local Peshawar-based journalists on a rare trip to Miram Shah, the main city in North Waziristan.
According to details listed in the generals briefing and quoted by Dawn, militants of several nationalities have been singled out in drone attacks. The diverse nationalities of the militants show the extent to which Pakistans tribal regions straddling the border with Afghanistan have been infiltrated by foreign fighters, mostly affiliated with Al Qaeda.
Dawn quoted the commander as saying that between 2007 and 2011, about 164 drone strikes had been carried out, killing more than 964 militants. Of those killed, 793 were local residents and 171 foreigners, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Chechens, Filipinos and Moroccans.
Last year was the deadliest for drone attacks in the region, with 103 strikes killing 423 militants, including 133 foreigners, the commander was quoted as saying. In 2008, 23 drone strikes killed 152 militants, 12 of them foreigners or affiliated with Al Qaeda. And in 2009, about 20 strikes killed 179 militants, including 20 foreigners.
Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the spokesman for the Pakistani Army, played down the remarks of General Ghayur in an interview on Wednesday evening, calling them a personal assessment that was reported without proper context.
General Abbas emphasized that the army supports the public policy of the government that drone strikes inside Pakistani territory do more harm than good.
The collateral damage by drone strikes create a huge impact within the country, he said.
But Cyril Almeida, a columnist at Dawn, saw the briefing as a positive move.
Given the context, and recent history of the drone strikes, it is really unusual that they have gone public, Mr. Almeida said. Who knows what lies behind it, but it is definitely a good thing. A lot of the people have pointed that there have been lesser protests in the tribal areas over drones as compared to Pakistan proper. The issue has become a bit of a political football.
Anything that brings more clarity on drone strikes in terms of a frank assessment, as opposed to spin, makes sense, Mr. Almeida said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/asia/10drones.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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