US drone strike kills three in N Waziristan: Express News

Sources say death toll may rise. White House defends drone strikes as 'legal, ethical and wise'.


Afp/web Desk February 06, 2013
Sources say death toll may rise.

WASHINGTON: At least three people were killed when a US drone fired two missiles in North Waziristan on Wednesday, reported Express News.

Rescue services have left for the site, while sources say that the death toll may rise.

The White House on Tuesday defended drone strikes against al Qaeda suspects as legal, ethical and wise and insisted they complied with US law and the Constitution, even if they targeted Americans.

The White House defended President Barack Obama’s power to wage drone war after a Justice Department memo argued that Americans high up in al Qaeda could be lawfully killed, even if intelligence fails to show them plotting an attack.

"We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and, again, save American lives," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

"These strikes are legal, they are ethical, and they are wise."

COMMENTS (12)

Raj - USA | 11 years ago | Reply

@Hari Om: Most Pakistanis support drone strikes though they may take a different stance publicly. It is like Koran and Hadith. Koran may say one thing but many will contradict it by quoting some Hadith. As I understand, (correct me if I am wrong) Koran teaches principles but Hadith specifies the allowed practices and also gives historic examples. Like Koran says that muslims should treat followers of other religions the same as the followers of Islam but there are those who claim that some Hadith requires muslims to keep away from non-muslims, collect Jazya. Incidentally, I have seen reports that non-muslims pay Jazya in some parts of Pakistan, even today.

Hari Om | 11 years ago | Reply

As a non-Pakistani I am completely perplexed as to why there seems to have not been a single attempt by the military of Pakistan to thwart a drone attack of which there have now been some 200 plus attacks.

It certainly is not because the taxpayers of Pakistan have not been generous in providing the military hardware necessary to thwart such attacks. Indeed the Pakistani taxpayer has provided vast amounts of money in obtaining for their military Saab 2000 Erieye and ZDK-03 AEW&C’s, F-16 fighters, Spada 2000 and RBS-70 Bolide SAM’s, AMRAAM AAM’s, AN/TPS 77 Radars etc, all equipment eminently suitable for the purpose of thwarting drone attacks. Despite this, I have yet to come across a single reference of an attempt by the Pakistani military to deploy this equipment to thwart attacks by drones, much less an actual attempt to attack a drone violating Pakistani territory.

So what is it that is stopping the Pakistani Military in taking measures to thwart drone attacks?

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