Every time the United States launches a drone attack in Pakistan, the Pakistani government formally complains. Senator Dianne Feinstein doesn’t really understand why. In fact, according to the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the drones “are flown out of a Pakistani base.”

The revelation would be seriously damaging to the Pakistani government, which has denied any complicity in the US attacks, hugely unpopular in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Sen. Feinstein would be privy to numerous details of the drone program given her position, but her official spokesman, perhaps sensing the potential danger of such a revelation, declared that she “strongly objects” to the remarks being characterized as coming from anything other than media reports.

Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar denied the allegation, saying the US drones are flown from a base in Afghanistan.  The Obama Administration has continued the policy of launching apparently unilateral attacks, though Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi says the administration will be revealing a new strategy sometime soon.

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