US Drone War Resumes in Pakistan
After a brief respite following tensions with the Pakistani government over a cross-border raid last year, US drones are flying with renewed regularity above Pakistan and firing missiles on those below.
The Associated Press reports today:
A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, killing three suspected militants in the second such attack in as many days, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The back-to-back strikes could be an indication the drone program is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.
The U.S. held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on Nov. 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident.
And Agence France-Presse adds:
[Last month] Obama said the drone programme was a "targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists". The founder of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, was one of the most high profile casualties, killed in 2009.
But The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, based in London, says there are credible reports that between 282 and 535 civilians, including more than 60 children, have been killed in drone attacks since Obama took office.
###
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
After a brief respite following tensions with the Pakistani government over a cross-border raid last year, US drones are flying with renewed regularity above Pakistan and firing missiles on those below.
The Associated Press reports today:
A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, killing three suspected militants in the second such attack in as many days, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The back-to-back strikes could be an indication the drone program is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.
The U.S. held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on Nov. 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident.
And Agence France-Presse adds:
[Last month] Obama said the drone programme was a "targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists". The founder of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, was one of the most high profile casualties, killed in 2009.
But The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, based in London, says there are credible reports that between 282 and 535 civilians, including more than 60 children, have been killed in drone attacks since Obama took office.
###
After a brief respite following tensions with the Pakistani government over a cross-border raid last year, US drones are flying with renewed regularity above Pakistan and firing missiles on those below.
The Associated Press reports today:
A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, killing three suspected militants in the second such attack in as many days, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The back-to-back strikes could be an indication the drone program is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.
The U.S. held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on Nov. 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident.
And Agence France-Presse adds:
[Last month] Obama said the drone programme was a "targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists". The founder of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, was one of the most high profile casualties, killed in 2009.
But The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, based in London, says there are credible reports that between 282 and 535 civilians, including more than 60 children, have been killed in drone attacks since Obama took office.
###