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It's Obama's War Now: US Drones Fire on Pakistan Tribal Area
Al Jazeera is reporting:
At least 19 people have been killed in two missile attacks by suspected US drones flying over northwest Pakistan.
In the first assault, three missiles were launched on a house in North Waziristan close to Afghanistan, intelligence officials and witnesses said on Friday.
"According to initial information, five militants including foreigners were killed," one official said.
Ismail Wazir, a resident, said: "Nine bodies have been pulled out the rubble."
The house was in the village of Zharki, near Mir Ali, and was hit shortly after 5pm local time.
The second attack, just a few hours later, hit near Wana in South Waziristan. Ten people are said to have died.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Pakistan, Kamal Hyder, said: "The attacks are the first since President Barack Obama took office and announced his special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and, more importantly, on the eve of tribal chieftains meeting the president of Pakistan."
Tribal chiefs are expected to raise the issue of US drone attacks, which have killed civilians as well as armed fighters, and provoked considerable anger in the region.
Frustrated over what it sees as Pakistan's failure to stem the flow of al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters from its tribal regions into Afghanistan, the US stepped up cross-border attacks last year.
It carried out about 30 attacks using pilotless drones in 2008, according to a Reuters tally, more than half after the beginning of September.
The attacks have killed more than 220 people, according to Pakistani intelligence agents, district government officials and residents.
Pakistan objects to the attacks, saying they are a violation of its territory and undermine its efforts to tackle increasing fighter activity.
No change
The strikes come one day after Obama, the new US president, appointed Richard Holbrooke as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan had hoped the new US administration would review its policy although during his election campaign had Obama spoken about the possibility of further missions in the area.
Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistani president, and General Ashfaq Kayani, the chief of Pakistan's military, met David Petraeus, the US Central Command chief, in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss ways that the US could assist the country in combating extremism.
US and Afghan officials have said Pakistan is not doing enough to combat fighters in the region, who have crossed over from Afghanistan to attack US and Nato troops.
Pakistan rejects those accusations.
Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/01/2009123144715473921.html
22 Comments so far
Show AllOh, look. It's that '(global) war on terror' popping up again like a whacked mole in a game that will never end, because America doesn't even want to admit that it's stuck in this insane and unwinnable war.
Our leaders hide the war, the people ignore it as much as possible, and the military effort goes on and on and on, ever-expanding, never-ending.
Americans must bring this insanity into the light of day or resign themselves to forever-war. It's been seven years and nobody yet has said how victory is possible in a war waged to 'prevent future terrorism'. With victory unachievable and defeat unthinkable, all that's left is more of the same, at least until the inevitable catastrophe.
Such is life in Airstrip 1. Hey big brother is African American now, it's all good, right?
If we don't end this insanity, we'll go the way of the Soviet Union and England -- completely bankrupting what's left of our economy, not to mention continuing to grow hatred for America.
Couldn't agree more.
This nation will ruin itself, if it does not alter its present of course of conducting wars, and of maintaining belligerent outposts in foreign lands. No doubt, for the sake of everyone, citizens of the U.S. and other peoples, this behavior must stop.
Bombing inside Pakistan, hoping to blast bin Laden to kingdom come, hasn't worked. Unless special forces on the ground go in to where they think his band of murderers is, the bombing will only give the same results.
How do we know who is being killed? Who lives in those remote areas? If the US thinks al Qaeda is there, go and find out if it's true. Otherwise, civilians will be in the mix and they don't deserve to be.
Pakistan may be a rogue nation almost like Israel but attacking innocent civilians is completely unforgivable. Tell me again how many billions of our taxdollars did gubbmint put into these wretched drones?
It's a good question, JW. Parts of the military budget are secret - even from members of Congress.
Unfortunately, our Congress supports its home districts through massive military projects, of which these drones are just a part.
-TIA
The U.S. has as little right to be in Afghanistan as in Iraq. If Obama brings the troops home from Iraq, he ought to do the same with the troops in Afghanistan.
Thank God bin Laden hasn't been caught yet, otherwise Obama wouldn't even have that pitiful excuse for being there.
Gee, another warmongering president, following in GW's footsteps. Pakistan is a sovereign country, and the US has no legal or moral right to bomb them, no matter the reason -- that's a violation of international and Constitutional law.
My lack of respect for Obama is profound, now. He obviously intends to continue breaking international and Constitutional laws pertaining to war, just as GW did.
He's certainly not the president most of us hoped for. Never once in 8 years did I refer to GW as "president Bush". Nor will I refer to BO as "president Obama". Not in my name, Obama. You don't unilaterally bomb other countries in MY name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_wRfr9weCM
Bulletin:
It's been reported Obama's terrorist network has once again reared its ugly head today in Pakistan. Al Jazeera's reporting at least 19 Pakistanis have been slaughtered.
Intelligence officials in Pakistan have estimated more than 200 Pakistanis have been killed by US militants since extremists in the American Empire declared war on the Middle Easterners' "way of life."
So much for change we can believe in--Barack Obama has blood on his young hands now--just as many thought--just a brand change to the same old wickidness--how stupid can a country be? I guess Hope is like Justice now--both can only be found in the dictionary. My condolences America.
Well, that didn't take long now, did it.
Wow! 100% of responses have been critical of Obama's Afghanistan/Pakistan policy. That's a far cry from the hateful responses I received when I posted throughout 2008 that Obama would bomb and invade Pakistan if elected president.
Where are those Obamaholics now? Back at work in the military weapons industry?
Bin Laden - your days are numbered.
We haven't forgotten.
We are coming for you.
Maybe you could sleep easy knowing Bush was after you...
But now you have Obama to worry about.
I think JoeHope is really a Republican operative trying to make Obama supporters look like hopeless airheads. Like ooooo my gooooood Obama is soooooooo good, hurray, fluff pom, poms. Did you know that under Obama every child who wants one is getting a pony?
I am always amazed that by merely supporting Obama I frequently get called a republican.
Does that make any sense at all?
Could you please explain your logic?
If I was a republican, why would I praise Obama for doing things contrary to republican values like closing Guantanamo, protecting the environment, ending torture, or withdrawing from Iraq? Why would you think only a "hopeless airhead" would be proud of these accomplishments?
Did you run out of clever insults to throw at me? Is all you have left the utterly absurd attack that "if you support Obama you are really a Republican operative"?
Look, hootowl, I don't know if you live in a cave or hole in the ground. But did you happen to watch Obama's inauguration? All those people in attendance, all 2,000,000 of them, are their values closer to mine or yours?
Mine.
So are we all Republican operatives out to get you? At what point might you begin to consider that you could be suffering from paranoia?
Honestly, I'm finding your comments (insults, and attacks) to be increasingly obscure and delusional.
If you are going to espouse the values of the extreme left, then you probably should realize that you don't (by definition) represent the mainstream of public opinion. You also shouldn't act so surprised when you find yourself talking with a member of the majority. Remember that mandate Obama got? I'm part of the majority? Nader and McKinney when added together got less than 1% of the vote. I'd say your views, while popular for the moment on CD, are completely out of tune with most Americans.
Last time I checked, wanting to catch Bin Laden isn't a democratic or republican value, it is an American value.
Do you want to let Bin Laden escape? Not pursue Al Qaeda? Is that your plan?
I predict Obama's Afghanistan/Pakistan war is going to be just as big a disaster as Bush's Iraq debacle.
Sure in an ideal world we'd catch Bin Laden but it's not worth hundreds of thousands of Afghani and Pakistani lives and thousands of U.S. soldiers lives to do so. Maybe it would work through patient police work but a big full on frontal 3rd generation war* is going to be a disaster, Afghanistan is not called the "graveyard of empires" for nothing, it's fractal topography simply offers too many hiding places to snipe and ambush from, and ways to cut off supply lines for any big clumsy imperialist army to win there. If you don't believe me ask the Brits and Russians.
Not only is escalating in Afghanistan and Pakistan wrong it is quite stupid strategically and may well be the straw that breaks the U.S. camels back in terms of money and moral. We HAVE to focus on domestic economic and ecological issues if we are going to survive the 21st century, it's really that simple.
*Google William Lind 4th generation to see what I mean by 3rd generation war.
So hootowl, I have to ask, are you a republican operative?
No because I have consistently opposed the pointless wars in the middle east by both Ds and Rs. Weakest come back yet JH, get some sleep and do better tomorrow.
Wow, a "weak come back"? By using your favorite line? How about you stop accusing me of being a Republican then?
Craig,
The "Further . . ." section gives you editors a forum for news items like this. This is a good development. For years you've been filtering what we've been reading, with good judgment in my opinion. Now with this forum, you can speak to us directly.
I hope you will go the next step and reveal your own opinions and analysis, and suggest activist actions for us to do, like the letter petition on the Israel/Palestine violence.
My own opinion on the strikes in Pakistan by President Obama are that they are violations of the UN Charter which forbids the "threat or use of force" against other member states except by UNSC approval or by invoking Article 51. That is to say: the attacks are war crimes of illegal aggression, which is the supreme international crime according to the Nuremberg Tribunal.
I'd like to see regular editorials from you Craig.
Meanwhile, U.S. Congress is preparing to spend billions more on new roads. But don't place your hopes the decline and fall of the U.S. empire will end our problems. The whole world has to address the problem of wasting energy. The biggest waste is the private auto. Even Hugo Chavez is promoting the auto by subsidizing fuel and charging fares on public transport. Fortunately, there is a worldwide movement for free public transport.
http://frepubtra.blogspot.com/2009/01/tell-us-congress-fund-transit-not-roads.html