Pakistan Says U.S. Drone Killed Taliban Leader

[alp227]

Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 12:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: New York Times

Less than a week after President Obama outlined a new direction for the secret drone wars, Pakistani officials said that a C.I.A. missile strike on Wednesday killed a top member of the Pakistani Taliban, an attack that illustrated the continued murkiness of the rules that govern the United States’ targeted killing operations.

The drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal belt, along the Afghan border, was the first since Mr. Obama announced what his administration billed as sweeping changes to the drone program, with new limits on who would be targeted and more transparency in reporting such strikes.

But in the days since the president’s speech, American officials have asserted behind the scenes that the new standards would not apply to the C.I.A. drone program in Pakistan as long as American troops remained next door in Afghanistan —a reference to Mr. Obama’s exception for an “Afghan war theater.” For months to come, any drone strikes in Pakistan —the country that has been hit by the vast majority of them, with more than 350 such attacks by some estimates —will be exempt from the new rules.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/world/asia/drone-strike-hits-near-pakistani-afghan-border.html

[delrem]

1. I can think of no other political leader

who puts a greater distance between the results of his rhetoric and the results of his practice.

Bush was the opposite. To be sure, Bush's rhetoric didn't correspond with the truth, but his action corresponded with his rhetoric.

[cosmicone]

2. I love Obama for the drone strategy.

It has kept terrorists on the run and broken their back despite funding from the Pakistani military.

It has also created an anti-military movement in Pakistan which swept Nawaz Sharif to power and broken the radical islamists' back.

Go Obama!

[pauldp]

4. You're kidding right?

http://www.policymic.com/articles/16949/predator-drone-strikes-50-civilians-are-killed-for-every-1-terrorist-and-the-cia-only-wants-to-up-drone-warfare

[rhett o rick]

16. Are we at war with Pakistan? These are acts of war engaged in a sovereign nation.

You still buy the "war on terror". Sad.

Millions of dollars and for every "terrorist" we kill, we create 10 more. The conservatives love it, the military loves it, the neo-cons love it.

[cosmicone]

20. Pakistan is a terrorist state.

They harbor, support, arm, train and fund terrorists. No one denies this.

When Pakistan gives a safe haven to terrorists and places them in civilian areas, the blood is on their hands.

[cpwm17]

23. We give safe haven to these blood-soaked bastards:

That gives nobody the right to drop bombs on American homes. That is terrorism.

The US is the world's leading arms exporter. Much of the arms goes to countries unfriendly to world peace.

[rhett o rick]

24. Explain to me the process on how "we" determine which countries to be designated as "terrorist

states". Does the President get to decide unilaterally? Do you have a list of all the so-called "terrorist states".

Killing with drones is terrorism. Are we a terrorist state? Or maybe we are killing for God.

[RC]

3. What?!!? No number 2's this time?

Guess they didn't have time to draw straws.

I can't help but wonder how we USA'ns would react if some other country were using drones in this country, to take out what they consider to be terrorists? Blowing up houses in residential neighborhoods in the middle of the night. Killing innocents and calling them terrorist after they were too dead to object. After all, that is what we are doing in the Middle East.

The War on Terror, the self-perpetuating War. The more we fight, the more we need to defend ourselves from the new terrorist we create. What a concept, huh?

[cstanleytech]

9. Few programs run by the government ever get changed instantly overnight RC.

I think moving the control of the armed drones from the CIA to the military is a good first step as they "are" a weapon that should be under military control and if the CIA wants their own drones then fine but they should be limited to unarmed ones for surveillance and intelligence gathering only.

[polly7]

5. These drones are indiscrimate, shameful, cowardly weapons of evil. My opinion. nt.

[DCBob]

7. Do you prefer massive ground assaults/invasions?

Thats about the only other alternative to getting at these guys in that region.

[RC]

12. Wrong question.

Why are we there in the first place?
Another question: What roll did we, the US, play in making these terrorists terrorists in the first place?

[DCBob]

15. hows this question??

Last edited Wed May 29, 2013, 07:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Should we ignore the activities of the organization who was responsible for 9/11 ?

[FiveGoodMen]

31. No, we should send Bush and all his accomplices to the Hague

[rhett o rick]

25. Of course we prefer MASSIVE GROUND ASSAULTS. Can you spell "false dichotomy"?

Your position sounds like that of the neo-cons. Killing with drones isnt making us any safer.

Our infrastructure is crashing, our children are without health care, our seniors are living in poverty, our government is spying on us. And what does our government do? "Hey look over there, a terrorist in Pakistan."

[DCBob]

26. You may not believe it but I'm a Peacemonger.

I marched in the Iraq war protests in DC three times. I am against most forms of war and violence but in cases of dealing with those involved with 9/11.. I make an exception.

[rhett o rick]

27. Almost a million people have been killed using the 9/11 tragedy as justification.

How do you know that any of the people that the Pres chooses to kill are in any way associated with 9/11?

You are yielding way to much power to our President.

[DCBob]

28. There are alot things we dont know for sure. Its a matter of trust in those we have elected.

I didnt trust Bush/Cheney at all. I do, for the most part, trust our current President.

[rhett o rick]

29. Oh my. Cant fight blind trust as justification for killing. nm

[DCBob]

30. "blind trust"??

its your eyesight that's in question if you read that from what I wrote.

[rhett o rick]

34. Pres Obama is killing people within sovereign countries. And instead of being skeptical you

said you trust him. What is that trust based on? The fact he has a nice smile, a nice family, and is a Democrat.

What he is doing is morally wrong. Fighting terror with terror.

[DCBob]

6. Headline should be: "Taliban commander believed dead in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan"

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —The Pakistani Taliban’s second-in-command was killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike early Wednesday in the tribal North Waziristan region, two Pakistani intelligence officials and a local Pakistani Taliban commander in the region said.

An official spokesman for the insurgent group, however, said he had no confirmation of the leader’s death. “I have no such information,” Ehsanullah Ehsan said in a phone interview from an undisclosed location in the tribal region.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-officials-us-drone-kills-4-militants-near-afghan-border-first-strike-after-election/2013/05/29/24ef335a-c834-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. The guy they killed was Pakistani Taliban, who are not fighting us.

Their beef is with the Pakistani government.

Why are we doing Pakistan's dirty work for it?

[cstanleytech]

10. Maybe you should tell Ihsanullah Ihsan that

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/pakistani_taliban_pr_1.php

[geek tragedy]

33. You know who disagrees with you?

The Pakistani Taliban.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2010/0503/Pakistan-Taliban-claims-Times-Square-bomb-threatens-more.-How-credible

[Factfriendly McFact]

11. 3 children were hit in this strike

If they die we will probably not hear about it, as only people who die immediately are included in news articles:

"Three children were reportedly hurt in Wednesday’s attack, which was the first known targeted strike on Pakistani soil in six weeks. Local officials said at least two other militant leaders besides Rehman were among the dead. The CIA declined to comment on the reported strike."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-officials-us-drone-kills-4-militants-near-afghan-border-first-strike-after-election/2013/05/29/24ef335a-c834-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html?hpid=z1

[hrmjustin]

13. Welcome to DU my friend!

[Tx4obama]

14. Waliur Rehman Dead: Pakistan Taliban No. 2 Reportedly Killed In U.S. Drone Strike

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suspected U.S. drone strike killed the No. 2 commander of the Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday, Pakistani intelligence officials said, although the militant group denied he was dead.

If confirmed, the death of Waliur Rehman would be a strong blow to the militant group responsible for hundreds of bombings and shootings across Pakistan. The United States has a $5 million bounty out on Rehman, who Washington has accused of involvement in the 2009 suicide attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan that killed seven Americans working for the CIA.

Missiles fired by a U.S. drone slammed into a house early Wednesday in Miran Shah, the main town of the North Waziristan tribal region, killing five people including Rehman, Pakistani officials said.

Two officials said their informants in the field saw Rehman's body, while a third said intelligence authorities had intercepted communications between militants saying Rehman had been killed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/waliur-rehman-dead-pakistan-no-2-killed-drone-strike_n_3351939.html

[tabasco]

17. Good job, Droney!

This was a good shot on some terrorist assholes.

[cosmicone]

21. +1 n/t

[Pterodactyl]

18. Good thing they gave the Nobel Prize at the beginning!

[Tx4obama]

19. UPDATE - Intel officials: Pakistan Taliban No. 2 is buried

May 30, 2:39 AM EDT

Intel officials: Pakistan Taliban No. 2 is buried

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani intelligence officials say the Pakistani Taliban's deputy leader has been buried after his death in a U.S. drone strike.

The killing of Waliur Rehman has not been confirmed by the White House or the official Pakistani Taliban spokesman. But it would be a major blow to the militant group. The U.S. had accused Rehman of involvement in a 2009 suicide attack in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees.

Rehman's killing could rattle the incoming Pakistani ruling party's goal of negotiating with the Taliban. Rehman had previously been considered amenable to talks.

Two intelligence officials say informants on the ground told them Rehman was buried Wednesday night. Two militants claimed they attended the funeral.

-snip-

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-05-30-02-39-41

[DCBob]

22. Good.

I have issues with the drone program but this guy was a big fish which we probably could not have gotten any other way.

[Sunlei]

32. Pakistani Taliban’s deputy leader, Wali ur-Rehman, GONE w/ no usa boots killed or maimed.

Even the Pakistani authorities offered huge rewards for his capture or death.