Opinion | Columnists
Drone attacks must cease
The US strikes are counterproductive because they are resented by ordinary Pakistanis.
- By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
- Published: 23:10 August 11, 2009
- Image Credit: AP
- Pakistan Taliban leader Baituallah Mehsud.
Whether or not Baituallah Mehsud, the most feared Pakistan Taliban leader, has been killed, the US drone attacks must stop as they challenge the sovereignty of Pakistan.
For the democratic Pakistan government, which is already unpopular because of its poor governance leading to multiple problems and economic crisis, US strikes that kill more civilians than Al Qaida militants are a further blow.
The majority of Pakistanis oppose the US drone attacks and consider them an 'invasion'.
According to a recent survey, 59 per cent of Pakistanis think the US is the biggest threat to their country in light of the drone attacks.
Predator drones are operated by the Central Intelligence Agency and are flown covertly in Pakistan, targeting militants.
Pakistani officials say the strikes, which have killed more than 390 people in about 42 attacks since August 2008, violate their territorial sovereignty, intensify anti-American feelings and deepen resentment against the government.
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Such attacks work against the Pakistan military's operation against Taliban militants in the tribal areas of the country because the forces may lose the support of the public.
According to the Brookings Institute, a Washington-based think tank, for every militant killed in drone attacks, at least 10 civilians also die.
Although accurate figures are hard to come by, "more than 600 civilians are likely to have died from the attacks". At the same time, the think tank acknowledges that at least 10 leaders of Al Qaida and the Taliban have been killed.
Some 34 drone strikes were carried out in Pakistan in 2008, while around 30 strikes have been authorised in 2009 so far - representing a dramatic increase in the number of attacks.
Of the strikes this year, 19 have targeted Baitullah's home base in South Waziristan, leading to the deaths of hundreds of civilians and hardly any militants.
The think tank's report notes that beyond the humanitarian tragedy incurred, civilian deaths also create political problems.
It quotes counter-terrorism expert David Kilcullen as saying that: "When we intervene in people's countries to chase small cells of bad guys, we end up alienating the whole country and turning them against us".
It does not matter whether the drones strikes have been successful or not, the Pakistan government should take a strong stance against the US strikes.
It would be better if the US passed on its drone technology to Pakistan and shared intelligence to enable Islamabad to hit high-value targets. Public resentment must be avoided if the war against terrorism is to be won.
Some media reports have suggested that Mehsud's death would likely soften Pakistan's stance on drone strikes, but if that were the case the government would lose credibility among the masses who condemn the attacks.
In fact it seems the government has a dual policy: its officials, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, condemn the US strikes in public, but there are reports of intelligence being shared behind the scenes to facilitate drone attacks.
US officials have shrugged off the public protest, saying that the drone strikes are carried out under an agreement with Islamabad that allows Pakistani leaders to oppose the attacks in public.
Pakistan clearly needs a transparent and bold policy on this issue. If it is coordinating US drone attacks on its own soil, Islamabad cannot condemn them.
It should stop manipulating ordinary Pakistanis, who stand by their forces' attempts to eliminate terrorism from the country. Fooling the public is a dangerous proposition for the government, which is facing a lot of other internal challenges, such as the separation movement in Balochistan, economic crisis, unemployment, price hikes and - above all - a severe electricity shortage, which has led to the closure of industries and ruined businesses in the country.
Even if Mehsud is dead - and Islamabad would be justified in celebrating this - the government should refrain from supporting the use of drones in its airspace. So far the attacks have been confined to the tribal areas, which are mainly controlled by militant groups. But if the government recognises such attacks the US will be encouraged to use drones to target suspected militant targets wherever they may be - even in major cities - and Islamabad would no longer be in a position to condemn such attacks.
Your comments
Taliban is threat to whole world and should be stopped from its root. But death of innocent people is greatest loss through random attacks
Mayank
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 12, 2009, 13:25
These reports need to be shown in the open. USA will have to think of another strategy to fight the Taliban instead of shooting random targets and hoping that they are the Taliban.
And I think if the President comes to know (which he probably has), he will ignore this.
Tuahaa Soomro
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 12, 2009, 11:23
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