US launches 17 airstrikes inside pakistan since mid-august

[maladroit]

Suspected U.S. missile strikes kill 27 in Pakistan
Last Updated: Friday, October 31, 2008 | 3:03 PM ET
The Associated Press

Suspected U.S. missiles slammed into two villages close to the Afghan border on Friday, killing 27 people including an Arab al-Qaeda operative and other foreign militants, intelligence officials said.

The al-Qaeda member was identified as Abu Kasha Iraqi, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

He had been living in Pakistan's tribal region for about three years, from where he had been organizing attacks on foreign forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, the officials said.

Suspected U.S. unmanned planes have fired at alleged militant targets in Pakistan at least 17 times since mid-August, putting pressure on extremists accused of planning attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But the marked uptick in their frequency is straining America's seven-year alliance with Pakistan, where rising violence is exacerbating economic problems gnawing at the nuclear-armed country's stability.

Scores of foreign al-Qaeda members are believed to be hiding out in the lawless border area, which is considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden.

The United States rarely confirms or denies firing the missiles and the identities of those killed are only occasionally made public. Locals frequently say civilians, sometimes women and children, are among the dead.

The first attack took place in Mir Ali village in North Waziristan after drones had been flying overhead for several hours, the intelligence officials said, citing reports from agents and informers in the area.

The drones fired twice, hitting a house frequented by Abu Kasha Iraqi and a nearby car, killing 20 people, the officials said, citing reports from agents and informers in the field.

Around two hours later, a second set of missiles hit a village in South Waziristan, killing seven people, including an unspecified number of foreign fighters, the officials said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

maladroit Reviewed by maladroit on 10-31-2008. US launches 17 airstrikes inside pakistan since mid-august Suspected U.S. missile strikes kill 27 in Pakistan Last Updated: Friday, October 31, 2008 | 3:03 PM ET The Associated Press Suspected U.S. missiles slammed into two villages close to the Afghan border on Friday, killing 27 people including an Arab al-Qaeda operative and other foreign militants, intelligence officials said. The al-Qaeda member was identified as Abu Kasha Iraqi, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. He had Rating: 5

[maladroit]

"Suspected U.S. unmanned planes have fired at alleged militant targets in Pakistan at least 17 times since mid-August, putting pressure on extremists accused of planning attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

- mid-august? why does that date ring a bell? oh yeah, that's the official resignation date of pakistan's dictator with whom george bush was very chummy

Embattled Musharraf resigns as Pakistan's president

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/wa...n/18prexy.html

[killerweed420]

"Suspected U.S. unmanned planes have fired at alleged militant targets in Pakistan at least 17 times since mid-August, putting pressure on extremists accused of planning attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

- mid-august? why does that date ring a bell? oh yeah, that's the official resignation date of pakistan's dictator with whom george bush was very chummy

Embattled Musharraf resigns as Pakistan's president

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/wa...n/18prexy.html

Exactly

[flyingimam]

we should have done this 7 years ago, what would pakistan do? launch a nuke on us?

when a country fails to maintain its sovereignty over certain areas inside its borders, and thats causing much harm to 3rd parties, then those 3rd parties reasonably can take measures to fix or contain the threat, assessing the risks involved tho.

Its funny how we have made attacks both in Pakistan and Syria with whom we have diplomatic relations and have totally backed off from confronting Iranian regime which we accuse so much of killing and helping harm on American troops in the region...

[maladroit]

we should have done this when it was a dictatorship...instead, bush waits until it's a fledgling democracy and then bombs them back towards a dictatorship

[killerweed420]

we should have done this 7 years ago, what would pakistan do? launch a nuke on us?

when a country fails to maintain its sovereignty over certain areas inside its borders, and thats causing much harm to 3rd parties, then those 3rd parties reasonably can take measures to fix or contain the threat, assessing the risks involved tho.

Its funny how we have made attacks both in Pakistan and Syria with whom we have diplomatic relations and have totally backed off from confronting Iranian regime which we accuse so much of killing and helping harm on American troops in the region...

So does that mean we should start shooting border patrol agents for failing to do there job on the mexican border?

[maladroit]

only if the illegal immigrants and border patrol agents are terrorists

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I remember early in the Iraq war, when the US military got a tip that Saddam was hiding out in a house in some crowded neighborhood. They promptly sent a missile to blow the shit out of said house, killing several innocents, only to find out Saddam wasn't actually there.
This seems to be the recurring theme in US military policy; kill a few dozen civilians if it means possibly getting a couple terrorists. Then when Muslims declare a Jihad on the America, we're told it's because "they hate our freedom".

[maladroit]

saddam hussein was no threat to america or even his neighbours so that decapitatation strike and the following invasion/occupation with all it's ugliness were unjustified

if the usa had actionable intelligence that osama bin laden had been in that house, i would support a raid even if it endangered some civilians...air strikes are indiscriminate in who they kill so they should be a last resort

[flyingimam]

saddam hussein was no threat to america or even his neighbours so that decapitatation strike and the following invasion/occupation with all it's ugliness were unjustified

hang on there:

Iraq attacked Iran and they fought for 8 years, Iraq launched Chemical weapons on civilian population with all the technology and material supplied by then world powers of east and west

then resolution 598 forced both sides to sign a cease fire and end the war

then saddam attacked kuwait, and only then when the tiny state with a shit ton of oil and no military and a good relationship with us got attacked we went after him half/way and then again hit him over lies in 2003

it was justified to attack saddam hussein early in the 80s... no one did, iranians defended alone with little help from others

it was justified to attack saddam in early 90s when he stupidly invaded kuwait
it was justified to take him out then... we never did, does anyone know why????

then we had to make up a story and hit him in 2003. I dont have a bit of problem with Saddam's Iraq being taken down at all, i just have a problem with all the lies and inconsistencies

and when i say justified I dont mean that "america" should have attacked only, I mean it was reasonable for International community and UN and world powers to take such actions as a whole, u cant help it when America is the strongest military power out there but to expect the most contribution from them, although in the perfect world I would stick with Ron Paul's ideas and policies of non-intervention

Winner of both of our current wars is no entity in the world but Iran, Saddam was still on CEASE FIRE with mullahs when he was found in a ditch

Taliban is an extremist sunni group totally not down with Shia Mullahs

there, we just took out both of their sworn enemies and yet we expect them not to take advantage of this situation? mhm thats weird to me, those who made the decisions should have left some room to have some control over Iran factor when they knew its going to be catalyzed