At Least 28 Killed in Latest Series of US Drone Strikes Against Pakistan
Panic as Drones Continue to Loom Over Area
Pakistan’s remote tribal agencies of North and South Waziristan are in a state of virtual panic tonight as US drones continue to loom in the air and three attacks against separate towns across the region killed at least 28 people and wounded an unknown number of others.
Officials have so far failed to identify any of the targets of the attacks, but reports from the ground suggest that one of the US drones attacked a funeral procession that was carried out for people killed in a previous attack.
Reports suggested that the targets hit were related to one of the militant factions which has an existing ceasefire with the Pakistani government, and it does not appear that any of the victims of the attacks were “high value” targets.
The Obama Administration has dramatically escalated the number of attacks in recent weeks, and has launched an average of about an attack every day so far this month. None of those prior attacks killed any confirmed militants, but a number of children were confirmed killed in several recent strikes.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- Centrifuge Glitch Fuels Latest Iran Scare Stories - May 25th, 2012
- Iraq MPs Push Return to Saddam-Era Conscription Laws - May 25th, 2012
- US Negotiator on Iran to 'Reaffirm Our Unshakeable Commitment to Israel' - May 25th, 2012
- UN: Syria Bombings Likely by 'Established Terrorist Groups' - May 25th, 2012
- Military to Avoid Embarrassing Pictures by Banning Photography - May 25th, 2012
John Mohammad
September 21st, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Oh, I'm liking this new change of strategy. See, if you kill all the children there won't BE a next generation to rise up against the occupiers. The Army can handle the real fighters on the ground- at least that's the story we're being told- but it takes nerves of steel to push a launch button to send a missile into a crowd of people when you have no idea who you're firing at. You have to be extra careful, though, because those pesky kids can be hard to target sometime- you might as well go ahead and kill the mothers while you're at it. I'm particularly entranced by the term 'suspected militants'- we don't confirm who people are before we kill them, when they could just as easily be a family trying to go to market or going for water or whatnot? Nope, we just bang away at whatever happens to be in our sights at the time and hope we get it right every now and then. Way to go, team- I'm sure we'll win those hearts and minds just any day now.
not so proud Texan
September 21st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
We, indeed, are the new barbarians.
JLS
September 21st, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Keep getting more blood on your hands Washington. God's judgement will fall on you and your days are numbered now.
masmanz
September 21st, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Identity unknown but they are assumed to be militant. And the children? Were they militant too? NO, the militants were hiding behind the children in the funeral procession. It saddens me that there is very little protest either here or in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan has abandoned its responsibility for the sake of the US aid money it gets. And, we have abandoned ours by siding with Obama.
Bill
September 21st, 2010 at 8:06 pm
And let's hope that the murderers will some day be held to account for these horrible crimes, from the president on down to the button pusher in Nevada.
Steve Hogan
September 21st, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Shameful. What an appalling policy. Where is the media? Why are they not cornering Obama and peppering him with probing questions about the slaughter or its unintended consequences?
"Ahem, Mr President. Your drone policy killed 28 people and injured scores more today. Can you explain how this is making America safer?"
Or, how about, "Mr. President, do you ever feel the need to return your Nobel Peace Prize?"
"Mr. President, Congress has not declared war against Pakistan, our supposed allay. Doesn't this make the war you're waging unconstitutional and thus illegal?"
DavidSpero
September 21st, 2010 at 9:31 pm
It just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? I think that's the way it happens – the killers are safe in their cloud where everyone thinks like them, and so they keep escalating their crimes. They will never see the light; only a more powerful force — and there isn't one at the moment — or complete economic collapse will stop them. It doesn't look like the American people will do anything to stop them.
Ira7Epstein
September 21st, 2010 at 11:45 pm
USG=Murder Inc
Albert Bakker
September 21st, 2010 at 11:56 pm
How exactly would you suppose hiding behind a child is going to keep you safe from an attacking UAV? Maybe we should ask the Mythbusters to test that one. Maybe if it fails the first time, they should use real Pakistani children as they might prove to completely different from, say American children in their bomb-sheltering capacities.
This human shield meme is and remains utter bollocks. It's just a propaganda ploy to paint the enemy as immoral bastards who cowardly refuse to offer themselves as practice targets for joystick-heroes on the other side of the globe. But it has not much to do with reality.
jinxxx
September 22nd, 2010 at 2:47 am
Americans seem to just love the SPORT of killing others…..
of course I rarely see any of this ever on any other "news" site
this is the neo-con war plan for the world….and the US government is a willing participate
ghouri
September 22nd, 2010 at 2:57 am
This is a daily routine to kill unknown civilians. So for traitors of Pakistan PPP is looking only for money against these deaths and this is the law of jungle and i am serious through one atom bomb and finish the whole area.
This is the face of state terrorist america and i pray to God to take revenge from americans who are supporting barbarick acts.
You can do these acts in the name of Christians who are supposed that Jesus will forgive i.e. he has Gods athority to kill.
Christians in the last century and this century are biggest murderers in the history of mankind.
I pray to God to send natural katastrophei in america in which the civilians and military and specially politicians and CIA is destroyed or send uncareable deseases.
boutet
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:22 am
28 more fresh murders on Obama's head and Virginia is executing a retarded woman for two. Makes sense to me.
Jimmy
September 22nd, 2010 at 6:58 am
…. and yet, not so much as a peep from the American public…. talk about living in a comatosed state..
xavier
September 22nd, 2010 at 7:12 am
____Everyone US kills by Drone is labelled "terrorist" or "militant," even babes in arms.
The Drone operators are the "good guys."…….errrr…right?
theothercanada
September 22nd, 2010 at 7:22 am
The Natives had that opinion since 1492 about the "civilized" man.
masmanz
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:18 am
The war mongers only worry about the hearts and mind of American public. They feed them a high dose of paranoia pill everyday to keep them on board. 'If we don't kill them there they will come and kill us here' is the constant refrain.
xavier
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:40 am
How sure are we that it is NOT Israel at the controls of the Drones?
Pendulum
September 22nd, 2010 at 2:24 pm
do unto others adage should hold for those with any morals but you see, the US needs boogy men to hate and have slid from black to brown skin for this purpose
STUPID MORON
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:50 pm
GEE, I DUNNO WHY THEY HATE US!!?
tariq
October 5th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
yes shameful is one way to put it but i have other words but do not want to offend with bad language.these war criminals should be held accountable as the world looks at america as the beacon of justice and peace but the world is running out of patience.I hope god fearing people step in and spread peace all a round the world.