We should make efforts to develop our own drone system and, perhaps, operate it with the help of American experts.
MONTREAL: This is with reference to the story “After vowing transparency, US mum on drone killing” (May 29). For the CIA-operated Predator system to work effectively, identification of targets is required by someone present on the ground near the target. The drone system has been operating for a number of years now over the Fata region, clearly with the active cooperation of the Pakistani state. Either personnel belonging to the state present on the ground are identifying the targets for the drones or else, Pakistani citizens employed by the CIA are living among the locals.
Either way, the drones are not operating independently without the consent of our government. The death and destruction the US drone attacks have caused is having repercussion all across the country. The government cannot convince the nation that it is not involved in the drone war. On the one hand, the government publicly protests the attacks claiming violation of its sovereignty and, on the other, cooperates with the US in the drone war. This doublespeak will eventually backfire and the nation will have to pay a price. We need to reconsider our position on the matter. We should make efforts to develop our own drone system and, perhaps, operate it with the help of American experts.
Mian Munir
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2013.
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