US Drone strikes in Pakistan are illegal under international law.

[Ahmad]

PESHAWAR: Suspected US missiles hit a house and car in a village in northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border Thursday, killing at least six people, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The strikes occurred within minutes of each other in the North Waziristan region, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to brief the media.

The officials said three missiles slammed into the house, killing four people. Two people were killed in the strike on the car. They did not identify the victims.

American officials do not publicly acknowledge the program or say who they are targeting.

 

[TruthSeeker]

US missiles kill six in North Waziristan

February 24, 2011 (2 days ago)

PESHAWAR: Suspected US missiles hit a house and car in a village in northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border Thursday, killing at least six people, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The strikes occurred within minutes of each other in the North Waziristan region, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to brief the media.

The officials said three missiles slammed into the house, killing four people. Two people were killed in the strike on the car. They did not identify the victims.

US missiles kill six in North Waziristan | Latest-News | DAWN.COM

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators kill 5 in strike in South Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, March 8, 2011

Unmanned US Predators struck inside Pakistan's tribal areas for the first time in 11 days. Today's strike killed five "militants" in the tribal agency of South Waziristan.

The Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired two missiles at a compound in the village of Landidog about 12 miles west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan. The compound is owned by "a local tribesman named as Fazal Karam, Dawn reported.

A Pakistani intelligence official told AFP that five "militants" were killed, but did not say if those killed were Taliban, al Qaeda, or members of other allied terror groups. No senior terror commanders have been reported killed. Also, no civilians were reported killed in the strike.

The area is controlled by Mullah Nazir, the leader of the Taliban in the Waziri tribal areas in South Waziristan.

Nazir openly supports Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden, however, and wages jihad in Afghanistan. Significantly, more senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed in Nazir's tribal areas during the US air campaign than in those of any other Taliban leader in Pakistan. Nazir also shelters the Mehsuds from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, in violation of a peace agreement with the Pakistani government.

US missile strike kills five militants in South Waziristan | Pakistan | DAWN.COM
US Predators kill 5 in strike in South Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators kill 5 in al Qaeda haven in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, March 11, 2011

US Predators killed five "militants" today in an area of North Waziristan known to shelter al Qaeda and allied terror groups seeking to attack the West.

Unmanned Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired two missiles at a "militant" vehicle in the town of Khaisor, which is near the town of Mir Ali. Three terrorists were reported killed in the first volley. The Predators then circled back and fired four more missiles at the vehicle as the Taliban attempted to recover the bodies. Two more were reported killed.

No senior al Qaeda, Taliban, or other terrorist leaders have been reported killed in today's strike. But the nature of the strike, including the follow-up attack using four missiles, indicates that a wanted leader or a dangerous operative was the target of the attack.

US Predators have struck once before in Khaisor, on May 16, 2009. In that airstrike, which targeted a Taliban madrassa and a vehicle in the town, 25 Taliban and al Qaeda operatives are reported to have been killed and several more were wounded.

The Mir Ali area is in the sphere of influence of Abu Kasha al Iraqi, an al Qaeda leader who serves as a key link to the Taliban and supports al Qaeda's external operations network. Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network also operate in the Mir Ali area. Moreover, Mir Ali is a known hub for al Qaeda's military and external operations councils.

Read more: US Predators kill 5 in al Qaeda haven in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators miss target in South Waziristan strike

By Bill Roggio, March 13, 2011

Unmanned US strike aircraft fired at a vehicle in an area of South Waziristan controlled by the Taliban, but failed to hit the target, according to reports from the region. Today's failed strike is the first recorded instance of Predators missing their target.

The CIA-operated Predators or the more deadly Reapers launched a pair of missiles at a vehicle in the Azam Warsak area of South Waziristan, but the missiles missed their target, Pakistani intelligence officials told AFP.

"US drones first fired two missiles targeting a militant vehicle but they failed to hit, allowing rebels, who were said to be over four in number, to run away," a senior Pakistani security official told the news agency.

The unmanned strike aircraft then fired two more missiles at the vehicle but "failed to destroy it."

The target of the strike is unknown. Al Qaeda operatives and members of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan are known to shelter in the area.

Read more: US Predators miss target in South Waziristan strike - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators strike again in Pakistan's tribal areas

By Bill Roggio, March 13, 2011

Unmanned US strike aircraft conducted their second attack today, this time in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The CIA operated Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired a barrage of six missiles at a compound run by a Taliban commander and a vehicle in the village of Spagla in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan, killing six "militants" and wounding five more, AFP reported.

"US drones fired six missiles targeting a militant vehicle and a nearby rebel compound owned by a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan [Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] leader, Rahimullah, killing six militants," a senior Pakistani security official told the news agency.

Spalga is a known hub of Taliban and al Qaeda activity. US Predators have struck targets in the village three other times since December 2009, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The last strike in the village took place on Feb. 21, 2011, when nine "militants" were killed in an attack on a compound.

The village of Spalga is located in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, a powerful Taliban group that is a favorite of Pakistan's military and intelligence services and is closely allied to al Qaeda. The Haqqani Network shelters and supports al Qaeda, and launches attacks against Coalition and Afghan forces across the border.

Read more: US Predators strike again in Pakistan's tribal areas - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators strike again in Pakistan's tribal areas

By Bill Roggio, March 13, 2011

Unmanned US strike aircraft conducted their second attack today, this time in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The CIA operated Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired a barrage of six missiles at a compound run by a Taliban commander and a vehicle in the village of Spagla in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan, killing six "militants" and wounding five more, AFP reported.

"US drones fired six missiles targeting a militant vehicle and a nearby rebel compound owned by a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan [Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] leader, Rahimullah, killing six militants," a senior Pakistani security official told the news agency.

Spalga is a known hub of Taliban and al Qaeda activity. US Predators have struck targets in the village three other times since December 2009, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. The last strike in the village took place on Feb. 21, 2011, when nine "militants" were killed in an attack on a compound.

The village of Spalga is located in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, a powerful Taliban group that is a favorite of Pakistan's military and intelligence services and is closely allied to al Qaeda. The Haqqani Network shelters and supports al Qaeda, and launches attacks against Coalition and Afghan forces across the border.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani Network, is a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis as well as the Taliban's Quetta Shura. The US government has placed a $5 million bounty out for Siraj and has placed him on the list of specially designated global terrorists.

Read more: US Predators strike again in Pakistan's tribal areas - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators strike again in North Waziristan, kill 6

By Bill Roggio, March 14, 2011

Unmanned US strike aircraft attacked yet again in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. The strike is the fourth in four days.

The CIA operated Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a moving vehicle in the village of Tapi in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan, killing six, The Express Tribune reported.

The exact target of the strike is unknown, and no senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported killed in the attack.

The village of Tapi is a known haven for al Qaeda and the Haqqani Network. US Predators have struck in Tapi four other times since December 2008.

Tapi is located in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, a powerful Taliban group that is a favorite of Pakistan's military and intelligence services and is closely allied to al Qaeda. The Haqqani Network shelters and supports al Qaeda, and launches attacks against Coalition and Afghan forces across the border.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani Network, is a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis as well as the Taliban's Quetta Shura. The US government has placed a $5 million bounty out for Siraj and has placed him on the list of specially designated global terrorists.

Read more: US Predators strike again in North Waziristan, kill 6 - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators strike in Datta Khel area in North Waziristan
By Bill RoggioMarch 16, 2011

The CIA launched yet another attack against terrorist targets in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, this time in the known al Qaeda haven of Datta Khel in North Waziristan.

The CIA-operated Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a moving vehicle in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, killing five "militants," according to reports from the region.

The exact target of the strike is unknown, and no senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported killed in the attack. No civilians have been reported killed. In order to minimize civilian casualties, the CIA has shifted to hitting vehicles believed to be carrying terrorist leaders and operatives.

The Datta Khel area is administered by Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the Taliban commander for North Waziristan. Bahadar provides shelter to top al Qaeda leaders as well as terrorists from numerous Pakistani and Central Asian terror groups.

Datta Khel is a known hub of Taliban, Haqqani Network, and al Qaeda activity. While Bahadar administers the region, the Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, and allied Central Asian jihadi groups are also based in the area. The Lashkar al Zil, al Qaeda's Shadow Army, is known to have a command center in Datta Khel.

Datta Khel serves as a command and control center for al Qaeda's top leaders, and some of them have been targeted and killed there. A strike in Datta Khel on Dec. 17, 2009, targeted Sheikh Saeed al Saudi, Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law and a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council. Al Saudi is thought to have survived the strike, but Abdullah Said al Libi, the commander of the Shadow Army, and Zuhaib al Zahibi, a general in the Shadow Army, were both killed in the attack.

But the most significant attack in Datta Khel took place on May 21, 2010, which resulted in the death of Mustafa Abu Yazid, a longtime al Qaeda leader and close confidant of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri.

Yazid served as the leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the wider Khorasan, a region that encompasses portions of Pakistan, Iran, and several Central Asian states. More importantly, Yazid was as al Qaeda's top financier, which put him in charge of the terror group's purse strings. He served on al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or top decision-making council. Yazid also was closely allied with the Taliban and advocated the program of embedding small al Qaeda teams with Taliban forces in Afghanistan, a practice well-established in the country now.

Despite the known presence of al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist organizations in North Waziristan, and requests by the US that action be taken against these groups, the Pakistani military has indicated that it has no plans to take on Bahadar or the Haqqani Network, the other major Taliban group based there. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Yet Bahadar, the Haqqanis, and other Taliban groups openly carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

Read more: US Predators strike in Datta Khel area in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

US Predators strike again in al Qaeda stronghold of Datta Khel

By Bill Roggio, March 17, 2011

US Predators carried out yet another attack in the al Qaeda haven of Datta Khel in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, the second in the area in two days.

Conflicting reports about the number of those killed and the target of the strike have emerged, however. Geo News reported that the CIA-operated unmanned Predators, or the more deadly Reapers, fired two missiles at a compound, killing 14 "militants." Al Jazeera put the number of dead at 35 Taliban fighters and said the compound was known to be used as a training camp and meeting place.

Dawn and Reuters reported that the target was either a compound or a vehicle outside of the compound, and put the casualties between 22 and 25, without specifying if those killed were civilians or terrorists. The compound was owned by North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar, and was hosting a meeting of "elders loyal to Bahadar" who were "trying to mediate between two warring militant groups inside." The reports did not indicate which two groups were in talks with Bahadar's tribal elders.

Sharabat Khan, a senior lieutenant to Bahadar, and several foreign fighters were reported to have been killed in the strike, The Associated Press reported.

But some Pakistanis are claiming that civilians and policemen were killed in the strike. Syed Masood Kausar, the governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which is adjacent to the tribal areas, denounced the strike, which he claimed targeted a "tribal jirga," or council.

"I strongly condemn this drone attack," Kausar said in a statement released to the press. "A tribal jirga was targeted in which several tribal elders and tribal policemen were martyred. We want to make it clear that the government of Pakistan and its people will not tolerate such attacks. These attacks are against the sovereignty of Pakistan."

Later, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff condemned the attack and called it a "senseless attack" that targeted "a jirga of peaceful citizens including elders of the area." [See LWJ report, Pakistan's Army chief 'condemns' US Predator in Datta Khel].

Datta Khel is one of the most targeted areas in the CIA's air campaign in Pakistan. Forty-five of the 234 strikes, or 19 percent, have taken place in Datta Khel since the US began carrying out strikes in Pakistan in 2004, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. And so far this year, eight of the 19 strikes in Pakistan have taken place in Datta Khel.

Today's strike is the second in the Datta Khel area in two days, and the third in Datta Khel since Feb. 21. Five "militants" were killed in yesterday's strike, which targeted a vehicle, and six more "militants" were killed in an attack on a vehicle and a car in the Feb. 21 strike.

Read more: US Predators strike again in al Qaeda stronghold of Datta Khel - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

Pakistan's Army chief 'condemns' US Predator airstrike in Datta Khel

By Bill Roggio, March 17, 2011

In an unusual move, Pakistan's top military commander has denounced today's airstrike in North Waziristan that was carried out by CIA-operated Predator aircraft. Pakistani officials are claiming that more than 20 civilians were killed in the strike.

In a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, spoke out against today's airstrike in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, a known haven for al Qaeda and allied terror groups.

"Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, strongly condemns the Predator Strike carried out today in North Waziristan Agency resulting into loss of innocent lives," according to the statement, which was released on the ISPR website. "It is highly regrettable that a jirga of peaceful citizens including elders of the area was carelessly and callously targeted with complete disregard to human life. In complete violation of human rights, such acts of violence take us away from our objective of elimination of terrorism. It is imperative to understand that this critical objective can not be sacrificed for temporary tactical gains."

Kayani also called the airstrike a "senseless attack" and "aggression against people of Pakistan," and ordered the Army to help those killed in the strike.

Kayani's statement was preceded by another from Syed Masood Kausar, the governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, who claimed that a tribal jirga, or council, was hit.

Initial reports indicated that more than 30 Taliban fighters, including Sharabat Khan, a top lieutenant of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, were killed when the unmanned Predators or Reapers fired several missiles at a compound known to be used by the Taliban and other "militants." [See LWJ report, US Predators strike again in al Qaeda stronghold of Datta Khel.]

But The New York Times later reported that the jirga was held to settle a mining dispute between local tribes, and was being mediated by the Taliban. Eleven Taliban fighters, including Khan, the Taliban commander, and 21 tribal leaders and attendees are reported to have been killed. The Taliban have an interest in settling disputes in order to tax the sales of chromite, the The New York Times noted.

The denunciations by Kayani and Kausar of today's strike mark an unusual turn in Pakistan's handling of the issue of US airstrikes on Pakistani territory. In the past, while publicly stating that the strikes are unhelpful, Pakistani officials have failed to weigh in on individual attacks. Kayani himself has previously remained silent about the strikes, while the Pakistani military has quietly aided the CIA in gathering intelligence and executing the attacks.

The denunciations also take place one day after Pakistan freed Raymond Davis, a CIA employee who is thought to have gathered information on Pakistani terror groups and supported the Predator strikes. Davis was arrested in Lahore after shooting and killing two Pakistanis who reportedly attempted to rob him. He also is suspected of tracking links between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate and the al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al Jazeera reports. In addition, some have alleged that the two men he killed were ISI operatives.

Today's strike is the second in the Datta Khel area in two days, and the third in Datta Khel since Feb. 21. Several top al Qaeda commanders, including Mustafa Abu Yazid, a longtime al Qaeda leader and close confidant of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, have been killed in strikes in Datta Khel.

Read more: Pakistan's Army chief 'condemns' US Predator airstrike in Datta Khel - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

North Waziristan tribal leaders vow to wage jihad, carry out suicide attacks against the US

By Bill Roggio, March 18, 2011

Four senior tribal leaders in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency today vowed to carry out suicide attacks against the US to avenge a Predator strike that killed more than 30 people, including 11 Taliban fighters.

The senior tribal leaders said they would wage jihad against the US for yesterday's Predator strike in the Datta Khel area that targeted a compound known to train and host meetings of commanders loyal to top Taliban leader Hafiz Bahadar. The North Waziristan leaders made the statements at the Peshawar Press Club after holding a grand jirga, or council.

"We will take the revenge for our near and dear ones and announce a jihad against the Americans. We will allow our youths to carry out suicide attack on US citizens," tribal leader Malik Jalaluddin said, according to the Press Trust of India.

"We will show how we take revenge. We announce a jihad against the US and her allies sitting in our country," said Malik Jalal Sarhadi Qat Khel, another tribal leader. "We will avenge our tribesmen at any cost, even if it takes a hundred years."

Jalaluddin also denied that al Qaeda and the Taliban were present in the tribal agency.

"There are no al Qaeda or Taliban militants in the agency," Jalaluddin claimed.

The tribal leaders in North Waziristan have been either actively supporting the Taliban and allied terror organizations, or have been sufficiently cowed after years of grooming by the terror groups. Those senior tribal leaders and elders who refuse to cooperate with the Taliban agenda are routinely executed by the Taliban.

Yesterday's strike in Datta Khel sparked outrage and unusual denunciations from top Pakistani leaders, including from Chief of Army Staff General Parvez Kayani. In an official statement released by the Pakistani military, Kayani called the airstrike a "senseless attack" and "aggression against people of Pakistan."

Read more: North Waziristan tribal leaders vow to wage jihad, carry out suicide attacks against the US - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

Taliban punish 4 'spies' for recent deadly airstrike

By Bill Roggio, March 21, 2011

The Taliban executed four more so-called 'US spies' who were accused of providing information that led to last week's controversial Predator airstrike in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.

Three tribesmen were shot multiple times in the Datta Khel area, and another in the nearby Mir Ali area, AFP reported. "The bodies had multiple bullet wounds and were mutilated," and notes accusing them of spying for the US were found pinned to their bodies, Wahab Khan, a Pakistani official, told the news agency.

The Taliban also accused the men of aiding the US in the March 17 Predator strike that killed more than 30 people, including 10 Taliban fighters and a senior lieutenant loyal to North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar. Pakistani officials, including General Pervaz Kayani, the top military commander, denounced the strike and claimed that everyone killed was a civilian attending a jirga, or council, to resolve a local mining dispute. But the Taliban were reported to have mediated the jirga.

The Taliban routinely execute so-called "US spies" in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Agencies, and recently have expanded this campaign into the neighboring province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. On Feb. 5, the Taliban executed four people accused of "spying for Indian and Jewish intelligence agencies" in the district of Karak, and on March 18 the Taliban executed a spy in Kohat. Also, on March 4, the Taliban executed four more "US spies" in North Waziristan.

The Taliban often claim that local Pakistanis are providing intelligence to the US and to Pakistan's intelligence service to aid in the Predator campaign that targets al Qaeda and Taliban networks in the tribal areas. But the Taliban have also used the excuse of "spies" to eliminate their local opposition.

The Taliban perfected this strategy in North and South Waziristan. Tribal leaders who oppose the Taliban are brutally liquidated. The Taliban execute the leaders and dump their bodies on the roadside with notes pinned to their chests branding them as "US spies" and traitors. The bodies are often mutilated and beheaded. Occasionally, the Taliban will place suicide vests on the so-called spies, and detonate them in front of crowds of onlookers.

Meanwhile, as the Taliban target "spies" in North Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadar has threatened to end a peace agreement he signed with the government in the summer of 2009, in protest of the March 17 strike. In the agreement, Bahadar agreed to not attack Pakistani forces and to not shelter al Qaeda and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and in return the Pakistani Army would not attack Bahadar and South Waziristan Taliban leader Mullah Nazir's tribal areas. However, both Bahadar and Nazir have violated the peace agreement from the beginning, as al Qaeda, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and numerous other terror groups have remained ensconced in Bahadar and Nazir's territories.

Read more: Taliban punish 4 'spies' for recent deadly airstrike - The Long War Journal

 

[TruthSeeker]

Six killed in first drone strike after spy chief meeting
AFP

PESHAWAR: US drones on Wednesday resumed missile attacks in Pakistan for the first time in a month, killing six fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network on the Afghan border, officials said.

Unmanned aircraft fired four missiles into a vehicle travelling through the South Waziristan district, targeting a common root for Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants who infiltrate Afghanistan to attack US troops.

“It was a US drone attack. Four missiles were fired. The target was a vehicle. Several militants were killed. The death toll is six,” a Pakistani military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another Pakistani security official confirmed the same details of the attack near the small town of Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, around six kilometres from the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistani intelligence officials said the dead belonged to the Haqqani group, an al-Qaeda-allied outfit run by Afghan warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani and based in the neighbouring North Waziristan tribal district.

An administration official in South Waziristan said those who died were “all Afghans. They were in a pick-up which came under attack.”

The Haqqani group is loyal to the Taliban and has been blamed for some of the deadliest anti-US attacks in Afghanistan, including a suicide attack at a US base in Khost in 2009 that killed seven CIA operatives.

The attack came just one day after a Washington meeting between Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, and Leon Panetta, director of the CIA, which runs the drone war.

Six killed in first drone strike after spy chief meeting | Provinces | DAWN.COM

 

[chops3d]

truthseeker where is the post of the drone strike after raymond davis release which killed 80 people, did u forget that???