WikiLeaks: FATA official wanted US to follow-up drone strikes

High ranking Fata officer wanted US to target terrorists immediately after first drone strike.

A high-ranking FATA secretariat officer had urged the United States to follow-up on drone strikes right after the first strike, insisting that the only people in the area after the first one were terrorists.

A  sent from the US consulate in Peshawar on October 2, 2009 revealed that a high ranking official had told the consulate’s Principal Office Candace Putnam that terrorists would seal off the area after a drone strike to collect the bodies of those killed. He mentioned that the only people in the area 10-24 hours after the strike were the terrorists, wrote Putnam.

The officer insisted that the US “hit them again” as there were no innocent people in the area after a drone strike.

The two also discussed a military operation in South Waziristan, to which the Fata officer responded by stating that the Pakistan Army “thought they had the capability” to carry out the operation and that “the US could assist with continued strikes.”

Cable Referenced: WikiLeaks #227969

The full text of the cables can be read on Dawn.com, The Hindu and NDTV. WikiLeaks has previously released cables to other media organisations including Guardian and the New York Times.