Drone attacks may be expanded in Pakistan

[mcablue]

Source: LA Times

12-14-09

Reporting from Washington - Senior U.S. officials are pushing to expand CIA drone strikes beyond Pakistan's tribal region and into a major city in an attempt to pressure the Pakistani government to pursue Taliban leaders based in Quetta.

The proposal has opened a contentious new front in the clandestine war. The prospect of Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta, a sprawling city, signals a new U.S. resolve to decapitate the Taliban. But it also risks rupturing Washington's relationship with Islamabad.

The concern has created tension among Obama administration officials over whether unmanned aircraft strikes in a city of 850,000 are a realistic option. Proponents, including some military leaders, argue that attacking the Taliban in Quetta -- or at least threatening to do so -- is crucial to the success of the revised war strategy President Obama unveiled last week.

"If we don't do this -- at least have a real discussion of it -- Pakistan might not think we are serious," said a senior U.S. official involved in war planning. "What the Pakistanis have to do is tell the Taliban that there is too much pressure from the U.S.; we can't allow you to have sanctuary inside Pakistan anymore."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-us-pakistan14-2009dec14,0,3617313,full.story

[PSPS]

1. Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

Video game jockeys safely ensconced in the US (at least that's how it's promoted in the recruitment ads on TEE VEE) shooting up the "rag heads" with drones in a city of 850,000. And this is what is laughingly referred to as a foreign policy?

[Arctic Dave]

2. After the first strike you can kiss off any support of the Pakistani public we have

It's one thing to blow up stuff in some remote village, it's a totally different thing once you hit a city.

Very dumb policy.

[closeupready]

4. Again, we see how Obama's actions do not match his words.

He stated (directly to Pakistanis) in his address on Afghanistan that 'we' are not seeking to dominate or control Pakistan, but in fact, drone attacks inside the territory of sovereign allies is de facto dominating behavior.

[YouTakeTheSkyway]

5. Disagree

The drone attacks, which are sanctioned by the Pakistani govt. behind closed doors, are not an effort to "dominate" Pakistan, but instead an effort to meet goals that are shared by both governments (i.e. the Pakistani govt. having control over its own territory, suppressing the militants, etc.)

[Arctic Dave]

9. I don't think the public will buy into it even if the generals have a back room deal.

and that is the big problem. If the paki government looses support over this it falls right into AQ hands by destablizing the govt even more.

[0xDEADBEEF]

12. Obama isn't a personal friend of the Bin Laden family.

If it were a dumb policy, Bush would have already done it.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. But I'm sure that they'll only kill The Evil Anti-American militants.

Just like they've done elsewhere in Pakistan.....?

I can't believe that they're even considering this. Oh wait... they did say US officials didn't they. That explains the thought process..such as it is.

What a way to stage a war. I hope that this is just a bluff and that they're not really insane enough to give this the go ahead.

:banghead:

[YouTakeTheSkyway]

6. The idea that the Taliban and al-Qaeda can be crushed without a single civilian death

seems pure fantasy to me. Am I wrong?

[Altoid_Cyclist]

11. In a city of that size, I have a feeling that it's going to be more than a single civilian death.

There have already been who knows how many civilians killed by the remote control war strategy.

If there was a way to be sure that the Intel is accurate and verified, civilian deaths mighht be minimized. However, that doesn't always seem to be the case.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/506118/bombing_quetta

[TheCoxwain]

7. fully support it .. the pakistani taliban is HQ'ed in Quetta .. they are supported by ISI ..

while the Pakistani president pays lip service to use and gets 7 billion dollars from us.


Pakistan generals are like Joe Lieberman ... Double Dealers

[DesertDiamond]

8. I think the result will be to expand open warfare to Pakistan, and I think that's the intention.

[Baclava]

10. Bomb Hanoi!

Oh wait, we have KFC and Pizza Hut there now.