Obama orders ‘sharp increase’ in drone strikes: Report

Decision coincides with increased frustration with Pakistan.


News Desk June 10, 2012

US President Barack Obama has ordered a “sharp increase” in drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas in recent months, website Bloomberg quoted two officials on Saturday.

According to the report, the US officials said that they expect Pakistan to halt CIA operations in the country in retaliation to drone strikes.  They predict that the solitary airbase being used for drone strikes will be shut down in the near future.

However, Pakistani national security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Bloomberg, claimed that all CIA officers working on the drone program had already been expelled from the country and the drones were now being launched from bases in Afghanistan.

The US officials were quoted as saying that Obama’s decision to increase drone attacks reflected the “mounting US frustration with Pakistan over a growing list of disputes”.

On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta had stated that the United States was running out of patience with Pakistan.

He alleged that the country was being used as a safe haven by insurgents from neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan, on Saturday, rejected Panetta’s statements and said that he was “oversimplifying some of the very complex issues we are dealing with in our efforts against extremism and terrorism”.

Three drone strikes in as many days on suspected militants killed 27 people this week in Pakistan.

To lodge its protest against the “illegal” drone attacks, Pakistan had summoned US Charge d’affairs Richard Hoagland to convey the government’s serious concern over the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

COMMENTS (2)

k. Salim Jahangir | 11 years ago | Reply

No,he is not winning,but has already lost the war miserably.The entire Us administration was here in Pakistan to save one person,Raymond Davis & paradoxically they have killed thousands of Pakistanis with Drone attacks & they want to increase them ruthlessly as if we are children of lesser god.

harkol | 11 years ago | Reply

Obama is a very sensible person. He saw the war for what it is. Bush's war wasn't against Afghanistan, it was a war against an ideology. US had no way of winning that war.

So, he modified the objectives of war to break the back of OBL & Al-Qaeda, bring the troops back home, and punish countries who support extremist ideology.

He is winning this war, because his objectives are easier to achieve.

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