Comments on: Growing Consensus Against U.S Drone Attacks

By: Salman

Salman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:28:22 +0000

This is not about moral judgement, but about a tactic that doesn’t work and has a cost that far exceeds the benefits even in the cold-blooded calculus of realpolitik.

“Of the 60 cross-border predator strikes carried out by the Afghanistan-based American drones in Pakistan between January 14, 2006 and April 8, 2009, only 10 were able to hit their actual targets, killing 14 wanted al-Qaeda leaders, besides perishing 687 innocent Pakistani civilians. The success percentage of the US predator strikes thus comes to not more than six per cent.”

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id= 21440

By: Umar Shah

Umar Shah — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:39:06 +0000

The 5% population these bearded bearers of moral responsibility represent always comes out on the streets because they have a common platform. It’s never the cause, its the ability to mobilise a crowd that this platform provides them. The question remains, what common platform can the 95% normal population of Pakistan find so that they too can come out on the streets and quieten these mobsters once and for all. If these religioulous people really cared about the innocent Pakistani populace, would they attack them when they ran marathons wearing shorts, would they condemn the flogging of a 17 year old woman by demonic maulvis of Swat, would they do something to stop tarnishing Pakistan’s image when they stay silent on suicide bombings and beheadings of foreigners? Would they? This is a boondoggle for them, an extra-curricular activity, a post-mosque social gathering that lets them vent their frustrations. It makes them feel better about themselves. They don’t give a rat’s rear end about Pakistan.

By: Collateraldamage

Collateraldamage — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:45:24 +0000

Collateral damage is nice word generally used to describe the innocent people killed/injured while carrying out a military attack/strike in a CIVILIAN population. Because of the nature of gorilla warfare it is an unavoidable consequence.

Why don’t UN/US give sufficient military aid to comb the entire area of AQ. While doing this, they should also modernize and establish the region. Three phase solution would be to: First comb and neutralize the region by disarming. Which will require the greatest will; Second, re-arm according to Pakistani constitution (like a pistol for self defence) to those who desperately want that; Third, establish strict governmental control along with a local industry which particularly suits the region and employ (with training) as much youth as possible.

To me FATA has always been a foreign land. But I still think it can be re-constructed via a green field approach (assuming no infrastructure).

Critical thinking and solutions are generally absent from all these analysis. We need practical solutions..