A Friday drone strike which killed Pakistani Taliban (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud was particularly galling, according to Pakistani officials, because they’d received specific promises that the US would not carry out any strikes during the Pakistani peace talks.
Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister for Pakistan’s Punjab Province and the younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says he was assured at “high levels” that there would be no drone strikes during the Sharif government’s peace dialogue with the TTP.
The US State Department shrugged off the complaints, insisting that Pakistan’s peace talks were an “internal matter” and unrelated to the drone strike, even though it targeted Hakimullah and other leaders of the group Pakistan is trying to negotiate with.
The State Department statement urged those questioning their position to ask the Pakistani government for “further details.” Pakistan’s government has condemned the strike, saying the US “murdered” the peace talks and that not only had the strike killed the 25 people it hit, but would be responsible for future deaths coming from the lack of a peace deal.
The TTP had conditioned the talks on the end of US drone strikes, and its interim leadership has backed out of the talks for the time being, saying that they can’t negotiated a lasting peace with “US slaves” in the current government.
Hakimullah took over the TTP in 2009, after a drone strike killed Baitullah Mehsud. Hakimullah proved a much more aggressive leader than the sickly Baitullah, expanding the TTP far outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas. Asmatullah Bhittani is the interim leader now, with many seeing Khalid Sajna as likely to eventually be appointed the permanent leader.
Whoever takes over the reins, however, the peace process was likely dealt a mortal blow, at least for the time being, and Pakistani security forces remain on high alert pending retaliation.
There still is not absolute certainty Meshud was killed. Four al-Qaeda members were killed which means 21 innocent civilians were likely killed in a public market. That is 84% of the casualties were innocent civilian combatants slightly below the 90 to 95% average civilian death rate for drone strikes.
The Pakistanis should understand that it is the very nature of the American government to break any vow, promise, or even a written treaty. They do it all the time, dating back to the foundation of the nation onward, breaking all some 400 written treaties with the American Indians multiple times. As we can see, it’s in the DNA of the US government to break promises, treaties and agreements of all or any kind.
Isn´t mass spying a form a breaking the trust and long established agreements of even one´s best friends? Why would the Pakistanis believe anything America said? Why would anyone believe anything the American government said about anything? You can read their trust breaking throughout history, but this unsatisfied thirst for spying on everyone should be a good sign as to what those in power, the establishment, in the US really think about friendships, trust, honor, etc.
How long has the State Dept been a joke?
How long has the State Dept been a joke?
First we had that witch., now the Kerry oaf..!!!!! WTF….
Maybe longer than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_State…
Starting to think that's where presidents put their dirtiest jokes.
What a weak and corrupt nation,they are in tandem with the US on every decision and collecting the money under the table. For a country with nuclear weapons, why not use it as a bargaining chip to get some respect from the International Community. Do you hear of anyone getting droned in North Korea? And they are even less respected.
this is John Brennans mis-calculation
destabilize Pak, encircle with indias help, sell arms & nuclear tech to india, demand their free assistance in keeping open the supply line thru their borders. The whole time persist with the fantasy, the locals will never discover the charade. Same charade with the palestinians, conduct lengthy "peace talks" while nutty-yahoo gobbles up the occupied territory. And the whole time persist with the fantasy the locals will never discover the evil games we play. These people actually get paid to represent the usa