Saying 'No' to drone strikes
New survey shows 9 out of 10 people in Fata oppose the US military and drone campaign in their region.
A recent survey shows nine out of every ten people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) of Pakistan oppose the US military and drone campaign to pursue al-Qaeda and Taliban in their region.
The public opinion survey (available here), conducted by the New America Foundation and Terror Free Tomorrow, interviewed a thousand FATA residents across 120 villages in all seven tribal Agencies of FATA.
The locally-based Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme conducted field work while the United States Institute of Peace, a congressionally funded think tank, provided funding. The poll was conducted before the floods from June 30 to July 20, 2010.
Nearly 70 per cent of the respondents wanted the Pakistani military alone to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in the tribal areas.
One out of every ten also think that suicide attacks against Pakistani forces are justified while almost six in ten believe attacking the US military is justified.
Nearly 75 percent oppose the drone strikes with only 16 percent thinking that drones strikes accurately target militants. Obama is understandably not very popular in the region with 83 per cent of the residents viewing him unfavorably.
Nearly 80 per cent of the respondents are against the US-led ‘war on terror’ but they also oppose the presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban in their region. Fata residents think that their opinion of America would improve if American policies in the region changed. Fata residents also support the Pakistani Army, with 70 per cent backing the Pakistani military war against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the tribal areas.
Polls conducted on The Express Tribune website show similar results. In July, readers were asked if drone attacks in Fata were justified. A majority (64 per cent) of the responses were ‘No.’ When asked again whether they were ‘for or against drone strikes?’ in September, 68 per cent of the respondents said they were against them.
Other findings from the report by New America Foundation can be found in their report here.
The public opinion survey (available here), conducted by the New America Foundation and Terror Free Tomorrow, interviewed a thousand FATA residents across 120 villages in all seven tribal Agencies of FATA.
The locally-based Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme conducted field work while the United States Institute of Peace, a congressionally funded think tank, provided funding. The poll was conducted before the floods from June 30 to July 20, 2010.
Nearly 70 per cent of the respondents wanted the Pakistani military alone to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in the tribal areas.
One out of every ten also think that suicide attacks against Pakistani forces are justified while almost six in ten believe attacking the US military is justified.
Nearly 75 percent oppose the drone strikes with only 16 percent thinking that drones strikes accurately target militants. Obama is understandably not very popular in the region with 83 per cent of the residents viewing him unfavorably.
Nearly 80 per cent of the respondents are against the US-led ‘war on terror’ but they also oppose the presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban in their region. Fata residents think that their opinion of America would improve if American policies in the region changed. Fata residents also support the Pakistani Army, with 70 per cent backing the Pakistani military war against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the tribal areas.
Polls conducted on The Express Tribune website show similar results. In July, readers were asked if drone attacks in Fata were justified. A majority (64 per cent) of the responses were ‘No.’ When asked again whether they were ‘for or against drone strikes?’ in September, 68 per cent of the respondents said they were against them.
Are you for or against drone strikes in FATA?
For: 46
Against: 101
Total: 147 (September 21, 2010)
Are drone attacks in FATA justified?
Yes: 68
No: 119
Total: 187 (July 18, 2010)
Other findings from the report by New America Foundation can be found in their report here.