US snubs Pakistan’s opposition to drone strikes

By
fraaz
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16
146

Just as Pakistan condemned the United States for carrying out the first drone strike in its lawless North Waziristan tribal region since the approval of ‘new guidelines for ties with US’ by the parliament two weeks ago, which also asked for cessation to drone attacks, a top US official said on Monday that drone strikes were legal, ethical, proportional and saved US lives.
“Broadly speaking, the debate over strikes targeted at individual members of Al-Qaeda has centered on their legality, their ethics, the wisdom of using them, and the standards by which they are approved,” John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s aide said in a landmark speech on counter-terrorism “ethics”.
“The United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific Al-Qaeda terrorists, sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to publicly as drones,” Brennan said in a speech to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.
“I’m here today because President Obama has instructed us to be more open with the American people about these efforts.”
Brennan said the strikes had been certified as complying with US law by US Attorney General Eric Holder, among other top officials.
“The constitution empowers the president to protect the nation from any imminent threat of attack,” Brennan said, adding that Obama’s action was also authorized by measures passed by Congress after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
He also argued that the strikes were ethical, proportional and conformed to US efforts to spare innocent civilians from being caught up in the crossfire.
“It is hard to imagine a tool that can better minimize the risk to civilians than remotely piloted aircraft,” Brennan said, in a speech briefly interrupted by a Code Pink anti-war protestor.
“There is absolutely nothing casual about the extraordinary care we take in making the decision to pursue an Al-Qaeda terrorist, and the lengths to which we go to ensure precision and avoid the loss of innocent life.”
Earlier talking to CNN, Brennan said al Qaeda’s top leaders, including its new chief Ayman al-Zawahri, continue to ‘burrow’ in Pakistan’s tribal areas, vowing to bring them to justice like Osama bin Laden.
“That’s why we’re working very closely with our Pakistani partners. So we’re not going to relent until we’ve brought them to justice one way or the other,” he said.
“We demonstrated the ability to do that with bin Laden. And we are in constant consultation with our Pakistani counterterrorism partners on a regular basis about how we can do this as soon as possible,” he said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, meanwhile, said the strike in North Waziristan, which killed three suspected militants on Sunday “are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations.” It said, “The government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone attacks violate its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“The matter will be taken up through diplomatic channels both in Islamabad and Washington,” the FO statement said.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. It seems that US is testing Pakistan's resolve, the resolve of its Government, it's Parliament and it's people.

    The Government needs to send a very clear message, next time an American drone is detected in Pakistan air space, it will be shot down, period. Nothing less will suffice.

    • Drones have stealth capability and fly at undetectable altitudes. And Pak or other countries dont have weapons to shoot it down. Theres very little Pakistan can do about this other than make statements in public.

      • That is a fallacy. How did Iran bring down a drone?
        Pakistan Air Force has repeated said, give us the order and we will shoot the drones down. If the Government is honest with the people, what is stopping them giving these orders. They have given sufficient warning to US and they are not stopping, so let them know we mean business.

        • If PAF can shoot down a drone, they can very well throw stones at White House
          and get Obama run for life…

  2. How the diplomatic and hypocratic policies are being adopted by Smart america.If they are talking about legality,will they know that the Jammu and Kashmir is the long outstanding dispute in the U.N.O since 1948 between Oakistan and India.Did America try to solve this legal problem NO NO if small countries do betterment for thei countries America does not like,but whatever wrong and silly actions taken by America are right in america1s ryes.Is it the real spirit of DEMOCRACY NO NO.

  3. Where there is a will, there is a way. Not only drones, all American aggressive actions can be stopped in a fraction of a second if, Pakistan tells US government that it's entire embassy in Islamabad will be immediately shut down permanently, in case of next violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, by America.

    • then try it..just once..try….no grandstanding…lets see if u pakis can do it….

    • If Pakistan's sovereignty is suffering and it lacks the 'will' to cure it, then Pakistan, in reality, is a very weak and subordinate nation…

      So, are you really saying what you are saying?

  4. Drones have stealth capability, not detected by radars, have all the systems to defy threats of shooting it down. They carry missiles and the US is smart enough to make sure it will not fall into somebodys hands that easily. If it was possible to shoot them down the taliban or ISI would have shot it down. This is quite a helpless situation.

    • This is a defeatist attitude. Let Pakistan Air Force inform the country what they can do to the drones. If Iran can bring down a drone, so can we. All we need is a resolve.

  5. drones are slow moving compared to jets, they are not fully stealth, can be shot down. Its only a clear and stern message to be communicated and this should be considered an act of war. If supply route can be stopped, this can also be done.

    Its not easy when you allow some stupid practice at the first place and then try to stop it, once you allow such things they think its a norm. Stern message, if not complied force it in Pak airspace!

    • If thats the case then why havent the ISI or Taliban shot at least one drone?? There have been a few hundred "known" drone attacks and several hundred undetected just for intel collection!!

  6. Shooting one (yes, one) drone down is probably possible…

    Then what?

    Anybody thinking US would roll over and go home?

  7. Shooting down a US drone!! What is stopping the PAF? Just try it and see how the US responds. Besides the US being able to destroy the PAF (as well as most other air forces) in a few days, you can't act tough when you have 20 hour a day power cuts, a week's supply of oil and a basket case for an economy. Get in the real world.

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