There is a mood of panic in the Shawal area of Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency this evening, after US drones fired eight missiles against a house in the district, near the Afghan border, killing 13 people.
None of the people killed in the attack have been identified, but all were predictably labeled suspects by officials. Drones still loomed overheard during the evening, with locals concerned it meant more attacks are coming.
Pakistan’s government has been trying to end the use of drones for attacks against Pakistani territory, warning the US that the policy is counterproductive. The most recent Pakistani proposal is to grant the US near limitless “surveillance” power in Pakistan in return for ending the attacks.
The US, however, has ruled out ever ending the attacks, citing the number of “militants” they have killed. The exact number is a matter of major dispute, as President Obama’s term in office alone has seen the deaths of thousands of Pakistani tribesmen, but only about 1 in 40 people killed are ever identified.
