Sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday that both sides have almost agreed on ‘fresh terms of engagements’ to resume drone attacks against suspected al Qaeda members and their local facilitators hiding in the tribal areas, including North and South Waziristan.
The deadly aircraft operated from the CIA Headquarters at Langley in McClean, Virginia, would now be flying from American airbases in Afghanistan, said an official privy to the developments taking place behind the scene.
The Bagram airbase, just outside the Afghan capital Kabul, might be the new launch pad for drone attacks inside Pakistan in the future, said the official.
Conditions
Though the parliamentary committee on the national security is still working out new terms of engagement with the US, it was recently reported that top intelligence officials from Pakistan and the US were already busy in secret talks to lower tensions.
Officials said the resumption of drone strikes might be under new conditions. They added that Pakistani negotiators had convinced their American counterparts on at least a couple of conditions: First, the drone strikes should not be as frequent as they were in 2010 and 2011. And second, the CIA should narrow the stripe the aircraft were targeting under the approach known as ‘box formation’ in military terms.
“We don’t want them to be that frequent … it creates problems for us by invoking public anger,” the official added, saying Pakistani authorities believed drones were ‘strategically harmful but tactically advantageous’.
About the box approach, he added that the areas the Pakistani military had already claimed to have cleared must not be hit. “We want them to be within a smaller radius,” the official explained.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS (33)
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The most powerfull country on earth shouldn't have a backwater nation telling us when and where we can use our drones to kill Al Qaida, Taliban and Haqqanni opeartives. We need to tell the Pakis that we will hit wherever we wish, or they can kiss the rest of thier military aid goodbye!
We have learned nothing.
good news for tribune:)more dollars
Christmas and New Year's holidays are over. Now back to work again. Drones are the best thing that has happened to keep civilians safe from the terrorists. As long as safe havens are there drone attacks should continue. Pakistani army may wait to avenge the death of 25 soldiers but the Drones would not wait.
People are not really really dead when killed by Taliban, only pretending. On the other hand getting killed by Kafirs like Americans sends you directly to jannat. Pick your choice.
i hope the US never help Pakistan again. When we were there you wanted us gone. Now that we are gone you want us back? Fight your own battles.Good luck tracking down all those Talibans without aerial recon assets.
@Maulana Haqiqatan: All Americans must leave Pakistan and all Pakistanis must leave America!
So finally some sense id being restored ! Perhaps its another charade from Pakistan to get few $$, but this time the US is going to be lot more smarter than they have been in this relationship for past decade. There will be no unaccountable funding for Pakistan in future, as that is already done deed, the question is as to how sincere this arrangement is likely to be !
Sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday that both sides have almost agreed on ‘fresh terms of engagements’ . I thought your Parliament was going to determine the future of those relations?
Will they pay for collateral damage??????
Pakistan is waiting for the drone attack to shot down the drone as soon as it will enter in Paklistan's airspace terrority.
If US want to test it, send the drone for the attack and she will see the result. It will be the first litmus test followed by similar response every time whenever the drone will enter Pakistan airspace.
Will the Chief of Army call in Air force to shoot down these drones???
@yaz: Yeah, those 25+ deaths just suddenly never happened because it wasn't the US.
I would like to see response of Imran Khan on new terms of engagement on drone strikes after killing of our soldiers by taliban btw whats the difference between old and new terms of egagement.
Many people had predicted that once the supply route is stopped, ISAF will fall on its knees. Seems not. Yet another blunder on the thinking of the PAK.
What will the Army do now??
Drone attacks are carried out with mutual agreement, it's not an attack on our sovereignty! There are more benefits for us, let the US fork out the bill to fight a common foe.
Please resume the back breaking of the extremists. Welcome with open arms!!
What about the heroic super-muslims who killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers, after abducting them? After all, the FC troops are only doing the dirty work of Americans, CIA, RAW, and Mossad. We should offer taliban the Nishane Pakistan. They are the real heros.
Very good.. now zaid hamid will come on tv to give his last n final warnings
Any surprises ?
Pakistanis must understand that there officials had been talking to the US to limit drone attacks to manageable extent. That means a foreign force can enter Pakistan and kill Pakistanis till it is politically manageable. This shows the shameful condition of the Pakistani state. This also must tell Pakistanis the extent to which their state has ceased to exist and has been replaced by US hegemony.
However US is not the villain here. US is answerable to its citizens and it is pursuing its interests. The leadership in Pakistan has failed its people.
pakistan lady F.M. must come out with confirmaion or otherwise statement - she appears to live away from scene, it is time nation must be taken into confidence by her.
Vienna,January 9,2012 Does it mean where Mullah Omer is hiding is No Go Area ? Never mind,drones can reach No Go Areas from Go Areas of Afghanistan.The interval on drone strikes is natural taking into account the fresh planning and configuration time required. The basic rule remains the same " With or without Pakistan co-operation terrorists would be eliminated".No more "strategic dialogue". Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India --Kulamarva Balakrishna
It is the Return of the Drones, Part II
And we are desperate to shot it down.
That would be an attack on our soil from another country. An act of "war". We cant sit silent on such act.
Back to square one !
'areas the Pakistani military had already claimed to have cleared must not be hit'
Sure CIA would have got the clue !!!