US Drone Strikes In Pakistan

[Patriot]

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

Zardari seeks drone technology from US

* President hopes new US admin will understand Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts

WASHINGTON: In an interview with the Washington Post on Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his disapproval of the United States drone attacks on Pakistani areas along the Afghan border and urged Washington to provide the predator technology to Pakistan instead to enhance its ability to fight terrorism.

Hope: The president also voiced hope that the incoming Barack Obama administration would recognise Pakistan’s key anti-terror role as well as understand the fact that his country has been a victim of terrorism as well.

“We think we need a new dialogue, and we’re hoping that the new US government will understand that Pakistan has done more than they recognise” and was a victim of the same insurgency the US was fighting, he said. app

NEXT HE WILL ASK FOR SARAH PALIN. LOVE THIS GUYS OPTIMISM.

REGARDS

LMAO! Repped

 

[dr.umer]

yes and no!. i guess there can be a message in the timing of the excercise!

Agreed Sir. This particular exercise is being "announced" publicly to deliver a message, though it is not a "new exercise" for Army Air Defence.

 

[S-2]

"This particular exercise is being "announced" publicly to deliver a message..."

To whom is this message intended?

 

[dr.umer]

"This particular exercise is being "announced" publicly to deliver a message..."

To whom is this message intended?

To all those who are listening and getting uncomfortable.

 

[pkpatriotic]

For the first time, US drones have moved beyond the tribal areas that border Afghanistan and struck inside the Bannu district. Four persons are reported to have been killed as two missiles rained down on a residential compound. Accounts vary as to the identity of the dead. Some reports suggest three foreign nationals, including an Al Qaeda commander, were among the victims. The local MPA has angrily denied this and stated all those who died were innocent local people. Once more, there is rage and anger over the drone strike.

As always, the truth is impossible to uncover. But for Pakistan's government, the indication that the US may be ready to expand its range of operations is ominous. The prime minister and the president have tried repeatedly to parry angry attacks made on them by the opposition for failing to prevent the drone attacks by launching fierce condemnations of the action. These words cannot change the fact that there have been at least 16 drone raids since August this year – far more than the number that took place during seven previous months of the year. The missile attack in a settled area will bring still more pressure on Islamabad to act in defence of its sovereignty.

So far, President Zardari seems to have pinned his hopes on a change in US strategy by the incoming Obama administration. He and other members of the government have stated on several occasions that they are optimistic policy will be reviewed and altered. The question is what, if anything, Pakistan is doing to make this more likely and to bring about a change in the views of president-elect Barack Obama regarding tactics in Pakistan, given that consistently through his electoral campaign he had adopted a hard-line stance. Somehow, Islamabad needs to find a way to persuade Washington that it would more effectively be able to fight terrorism if it was allowed to do so on its own and that such a war would win greater support from people. This would give the effort against terrorism far greater strength. But in order to convince Washington, Islamabad needs to be certain of its own full commitment and conviction. It must explain why the militants that the US has apparently been able to eliminate during some of its strikes had not been pin-pointed and dealt with by Pakistan. If this is due to intelligence failure then loopholes in the system urgently need to be plugged. Only if we can demonstrate a readiness and ability to deal with terrorists on our own, will the US be willing to hear what our leaders have to say. This calls for the drawing up of detailed blueprints and plans. So far, it is quite obvious that even though the stepped-up operation against militants has been appreciated, Washington is not confident that terrorists can be dealt with by Pakistan on its own. It has also failed to see that the controversial drone attacks are adding to the complications involved in dealing with terrorism and thus, in reality, playing into the hands of the dangerous band of militants who seem to have set up base across our northern areas. Percepted by Editorial the News.

 

[SSGPA1]

Signal is clear but it is mostly to satisfy the home audiance.

I think a military spokesman once said that Pakistan doesn't have the resources to target a drone.

Only if war in Western Afghanistan picks up then the US population will see that Pakistan is not supporting the Taleban.

Once people in US realize that Taleban are not supported by Pakistan these drone attacks will stop.


.... OR .... if Gen Musharraf is back at top then these attacks will also stop.

 

[dr.umer]

I think a military spokesman once said that Pakistan doesn't have the resources to target a drone.

Firstly, it was not a "military spokesman" who said it. It was some minister.

Secondly, it is not about the "resources". Pakistan has all resources needed to effectively target a drone via missile or PAF - depends upon flying altitude. But GOP is of the view that targeting a drone at this stage will further deteriorate already volatile situation.

 

[Always Neutral]

Signal is clear but it is mostly to satisfy the home audiance.



.... OR .... if Gen Musharraf is back at top then these attacks will also stop.

Why Gen M ? He was the one who probably signed the secret contract for Drone Attacks.

Regards

 

[SSGPA1]

We (Pakistanis) think that we have all the resources.

It is much cheaper to fly a drone as compared to a sortie by fighter jet. This puts PAF as the second choice.

First choice is a SAM or AA, in that case we need effective radar support. Unfortunately we lack in those as well.

Last but not least, if our SAM is a US technology then there are strong chances that we can’t use that tech against US intrusion due to our T&C on our contract of purchase.

If we breach our contract then it will effect all other purchases.

BTW, Pakistan holds the record of ordering largest missile order with one of the US manufacturers.

 

[SSGPA1]

Why Gen M ? He was the one who probably signed the secret contract for Drone Attacks.

Regards

There is no signed accord by Gen M. This was confirmed by our present Defense minister and also by the previous forign minister.

Gen M. is the scape goat for our media and poiliticians.

 

[dr.umer]

Regarding targeting these drones please visit this thread as it has detailed information what resources we have and what we don't have.

 

[S-2]

These attacks have been ongoing for some time, reaching well into Musharraf's tenure.

Just finished writing Mr. Ejaz Haider to compliment his recent article on "implausible deniability".

 

[pkpatriotic]

Why Gen M ? He was the one who probably signed the secret contract for Drone Attacks.

Regards

if there is any secret contract deal exists, then it's done in Sep 2008 during Zardari's visit to US ( as reported by WashingtonPost), after Gen.M.

 

[SSGPA1]

These attacks have been ongoing for some time, reaching well into Musharraf's tenure.

Just finished writing Mr. Ejaz Haider to compliment his recent article on "implausible deniability".

Attacks in Musharraf's tenure were not this frequent and not this far into our borders.

These attacks always met fierce response from Pakistan and we even shot a drone or two.

The difference between Musharraf and Zardari or N. Sharif is clear ... Both NS and AZ will request to stop the attacks and Musharraf will threaten any intrusion with severe consequences:

"The United States seems to think that what our army cannot do, they can do. This is a very wrong perception. I challenge anybody to come into our mountains. They would regret that day," Musharraf said in an interview to Straits Times of Singapore in what seems to be an open dare by him.

I can't forget 4th of July 1999 when NS shook hands with Bill Clinton during the battle of Kargil.

Zee showed that part of the meeting where NS dropped his shoulders and bowed while shaking hands with BC.

 

[Always Neutral]

There is no signed accord by Gen M. This was confirmed by our present Defense minister and also by the previous forign minister.

Gen M. is the scape goat for our media and poiliticians.

Dear SSG,

Please don't let your abject misplaced hero worship blind you. The Predator attacks have been going on since Gen M's time so have been renditiond of some innocent people (not all) to Gitmo.

Regards