Another drone attack
There has recently been an upsurge in drone attacks in the tribal areas though this was only the second attack in Orakzai Agency. The last one took place in 2009, when 13 militants including some Arabs and Chechens were killed. Orakzai Agency does not share a border with Afghanistan but lies adjacent to North Waziristan, with recent reports that militant networks were setting up base there. The latest drone attack was obviously based on the knowledge that the Shakirullah outfit was based there.
Drone attacks have been making news across the country with the march staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf drawing global attention to the issue. There is no doubt at all that the entry of unmanned planes into our airspace is problematic. Issues of legality, sovereignty and the spread of hatred for the US all arise. The drones have created many problems. But then, so, too, have the militants they target. Atrocities committed by the Taliban and other militant outfits have killed thousands, wrecked the lives of many others and destroyed society in areas they control. The truth is that we have failed to control them, failed to contain militancy or present a strategy to do so. This is one reason why the drone strikes continue; they can be stopped only if militant forces are acted against at home and if the confidence that we are capable of tackling them is created.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2012.
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@Sohaib zeshan
The Americans, NATO, and Afghanistan have been asking you to handle this problem for over a decade -- I think they have reached the conclusion that your never going to take on these terrorist and they don't think you have a sovereign right to provide them sanctuary. You should have taken up the American offer ten years ago to launch a joint ground offensive against the Taliban - now that most of the American ground troops are scheduled to depart your going to be stuck handling this problem on your own. Good luck.
"The drones have created many problems. But then, so, too, have the militants they target. Atrocities committed by the Taliban and other militant outfits have killed thousands, wrecked the lives of many others and destroyed society in areas they control. The truth is that we have failed to control them, failed to contain militancy or present a strategy to do so. This is one reason why the drone strikes continue; they can be stopped only if militant forces are acted against at home and if the confidence that we are capable of tackling them is created.". Is the Pakistan Army not capable of tackling militants and bringing down US drones? If so, we can do without such a useless army and the funds spent on army be spent on education (islamic and other), science and technology. Why spend on nuclear and conventional weoponry when we could not bring down a single of the 309 drones and failed to counter militants within Pakistan? Flood-relief and earthquake disaster management are excellent but the Pak Army needs to do more. Regards.
If the drone attacks a millitant hiding in a populous locality in Karachi, resulting in the innocent casualties alongwith the militant himself, would media react the same? stating that "The drones have created many problems. But then, so, too, have the militants they target." Why there were no millitants attack before 9-11? As you sow, so shall you reap.
Over the years my opinion of the Taliban has changed massively. As a Pakistani who sees his countrymen getting killed in day to day bomb blasts due to these Militants. And specially after the low-poke attack by firing on a 14 year old girl - I hope our military goes out there and crushes these low life religoius nutjobs.
If your idea of religion is to kill anyone who doesn't believe in the same diety as you, you don't belong in a world that is shared by billions of people of different faiths and cultures.
Survival of the fittest, these taliban will go extinct sooner or later. The sooner the better though. They've already cost us 5000+ military personnel deaths and 35000 civilian deaths - ever since pakistan allied with the US after 9/11 on war on terror.
Long Live Pak Army. Long Live Pakistan.
this is against pakistan's sovereignty and these attacks cant be justified..pak army should itself conduct operation..
^and no matter how hard you Taliban apologists try to bait-and-switch, it would not matter...Good Taliban = Dead Taliban
^ no matter how hard you indian trolls try to connect malala with dornes, you will stupendously fail
Sir, This is a welcome development. Intensifying drone attacks is the only way to break the back of Taliban and make sure that we do not see episodes such as Malala's in future. Let the Taliban apologists wallow and weep hoarse. Regards KKB