US Kills 6 Suspected Militants Despite Pakistan's Demand for End to Drone Attacks

[tekisui]

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Two US drone strikes reportedly killed six suspected militants Wednesday in South Waziristan, incensing Pakistani officials who had just a day earlier disclosed their demand for a halt to all drone strikes.

It was the first drone attack since the March 17 strikes that killed up to 44 people, including a large number of civilians, CNN reported. The scale of that strike prompted unusually strong condemnation from Pakistani military officials.

A security official in South Waziristan told Reuters that two drones fired four missiles on a vehicle carrying militants. "We have confirmation of six but toll could be high," the official said.

The drone program has been controversial since it got under way almost 7 years ago. But continuing the program, even if it is a critical component of the US counterterrorism campaign, is likely to only exacerbate an already strained US-Pakistan relationship, highlighted by yesterday's demands for an end to drone strikes and a drawdown in the number of CIA and Special Forces operatives working in the country.

more: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2011/0413/US-kills-6-suspected-militants-despite-Pakistan-s-demand-for-end-to-drone-attacks

[walldude]

1. KIlling our own guys with drones too

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghanistan-drone-attack-kills-two-us-soldiers-2266877.html

An investigation is under way into reports that a US drone killed two American soldiers in Afghanistan. If confirmed, it would be a rare example of a "friendly fire" incident by the pilotless aircraft.

A military official said initial information indicated the soldiers had been conducting operations in Helmand province when they were killed by a Hellfire missile. It was unclear when the incident took place.

More than 1,500 US troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the war began nearly a decade ago.

[polly7]

2. What exactly is a 'suspected militant', anyway, and doesn't every

human being deserve to be 'proven' guilty of something before wiped out? 'Suspected', 'mistakenly', 'friendly-fire' ..... the thought of machines obliterating living, breathing beings makes me ill. Day after day we hear of another incident, not on many main-stream news sources but mostly from sources one has to actually look up. I am so sick of all this killing.

[Gravel Democrat]

3. ^^^ Some get No FLy Zones and Others get Drone "mistakes"

It's all up to the Leader!

[themadstork]

4. These assassinations and all the innocent civilians we've wiped off the planet with hellfire

missiles will go into the history books as one of the most embarrassing and shameful US acts ever. It makes me fucking sick that we continue to do this, and I must say it really takes balls for fellow liberals to guilt-trip us into continuing to support Obama when he personally signs off on each of these.