File photo of a drone. PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON: US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee member Alan Grayson said that if Pakistan wants, drone strikes “could end tomorrow”, BBC Urdu reported.
Grayson stated that such strikes cannot occur without Pakistan’s approval and they would stop if the Pakistani government stopped facilitating them. This claim runs contrary to Pakistan's stance that drones attacks are conducted without the approval of Pakistani authorities.
Remarking on the strength of the Pakistan Air Force, Grayson said that “these strikes would not be possible if Pakistan did not facilitate them.”
He also stated that “the way to stop drone strikes is through dialogue, not threats.”
Using Iraq as an example, he said the war there ended after the Iraqi government had told US troops to leave their soil.
He added further that the end to drone attacks would come only if a similar situation developed in Pakistan.
After Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s trip to the United States, his main advisor, Sartaj Aziz had said that America had not made a formal announcement that drone strikes will stop but they will reduce by the end of this year. Grayson however said he saw no evidence that Obama’s administration had implied a reduction in drone strikes by the year’s end.
Grayson felt that the US should compensate the heirs of innocent victims of the drone attacks.
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@Muntazir: answer is already given in the bottom .... Democracy ..:)
This Congressman is right. If there is no support from the Government of Pakistan these drones cannot operate. Coincidentally, the Government has released figures in the Parliament yesterday suggesting that these drones strikes on Pakistan Talibans are beneficial as 1061 terrorists have been killed as compared to less than 100 innocents!
Apparently if they, the Government of Pakistan, take action against the Taliban fighters the public opinion turns against them so they have allowed the USA to do this "dirty work" for them in exchange for some hard cash. On one hand our Prime Minister was raising the issue of drones with President Obama and on the other hand he gives silent approval to the program as long as someone gets paid.
The Government is acting like an obedient employee of the Droner!
Shame on us!
drone strikes could end tomorrow if pakistan wants! so this is the reason TTP Tareek Taliban Pakistan put farward their condition to govt of pakistan stop first drone attacks!
@harkol:
Yep - and the most efficient way of shooting down the drones would be using surface to air missiles. Unfortunately Pakistan military would have to fight it's way into Taliban controlled territory to setup the missile system and place an enormous military contingent around the system to prevent the Taliban from destroying or taking it captive. It's also possible that the drone would simply target the missile system before it got operational. . Best solution - get rid of the terrorist and drones will go away.
Once paid, you have to obey what master says
@Gemini: Hahaha...good one. It doesn't look like an RQ8. More like a solar plane. You have beautiful eyes.
Drones were started by the pakistani army under musharraf. No political party supported this. But the pakistan army does support it and silently let political parties take the blame and the anger of the public. ASK GHG, not the parliament!
The drones that fly over Pakistan are models that are slow moving (100mph) and don't have stealth tech, thus are trackable by radar. A slow moving visible flying object, how difficult it is to shoot it down?? It isn't. USA has only one drone that is difficult to track, and that isn't deployed in Af-Pak.
Thus, without Pak Army's implicit permission & acceptance, drones can't fly on Pak territory. Imagine the same drones are used by India on Pak territory, would Pakistan Army say "we are incapable of shooting them down" - That'd cause a furore in paksitan!!
Whatever! muslims roasting muslims.
@Sarr: @Confused: @Gulraiz Khan: lol.....again i fail to put my sarcasm through......never mind!
One Word - Munafiq Pakistani Leaders
Call me unpatriotic, but personally I believe that the drones are in better hands with the Americans than with our government/military. God only knows what kind of disastrous misadventure they may use it for. Drone strikes should only be stopped once there are concrete plans on the ground for exterminating the vermin that these drones target - TTP won't stop until their goal of establishing their version of Shariah in the country is established, stopping drones won't make any difference to their objective.
Pakistan government has received several billions of dollars as donations in exchange of these drone strikes. Now they cannot have any say whether these strikes should take place or not. Sharif going to Obama and requesting to stop strikes is simply a face saver in front of Pakistani aawam.
Its kind of joke. When US wanted to do drones they were arguing it that how much they are important and now they are leaving Afghanistan and they wanted to stop drone attacks too and now they are again putting it all on Pakistan.
@MA: Imran Khan and PTI did not sanction or introduce drones. Why exactly do you hold them responsible?
Its like two gentlemen, one from Lucknow the other from Hyderabad , trying to go through a doorway and each tells the other ' Sir, you first ' and..........
Obviosuly the CJ has to take suo moto notice of the complicity of the estabilishment in the drone strikes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Washington Post is a witness. Come on CJ.
I blame PTI and Imran Khan for that.....
Is this really a drone in the picture above? I think it's a solar plane.
keep waiting for something which is never going to be answered @Muntazir:
We will expect no explanation from the concerned authorities which shows either they have a tacit agreement or they are looking both ways. In both cases its to dangerous to get your people humiliated in front of the world.
After this, if any drone strike is conducted in pak territory , than it is pakistan who kill its own people. And after Fatwa from Mufti Taqqi usman the other day about pakistan cooperation to US on the ongoing situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the people of pakistan must understand that we are obliged to resist now with with every means possible.
"Using Iraq as an example, he said the war there ended after the Iraqi government had told US troops to leave their soil."
Yes, and as we can see Iraq has become remarkably peaceful since then....
Bush, Obama, Blair and David Cameron have all visited their troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. None has ever visited my troops fighting for ME. This is how serious they are. Pakistani parliamentarians failed to meet the Drone victims, while USA, has them in front of their congressmen. Who do I take more serious, my government or the States?
it was revealed in wikileaks that Gen Kiyani in 2009 asked for US Drones http://dawn.com/news/630057/army-chief-wanted-more-drone-support
Mr. Nawaz Sharif I am waiting for your answer, please.