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A lot has been said againstAmerican drone attacks as a violationof sovereignty of Pakistan but the issueis getting more intense by each passingday. When the US drones attackPakistan's tribal areas, it is not just the

ten, twenty or fifty innocent civiliansthey kill but it creates the anti-USsentiments in masses and a globalfeeling of disgust against US. Few staymum and numb but there is largenumber of victims who vent theirhatred very violently against US andits ally, Pakistan. US is insensitive tothe fact that civilian killings in thesedrone attacks provides reason to theyoungsters for joining terrorist groupswaging war against US and of course

Pakistan, for being its closest ally inwar on terror.The drone strikes have pushed

militants deeper intoPakistanand gavetheman excuse to strike the heart of thecountry, further destabilizing it. Nodoubt drone attacks did kill somemilitants butat what cost?

US killed several hundredinnocent Pakistanis and few militantsin the tribal region of Pakistan in droneattacks since 2004. Apart from

ineffectiveness, legality of theseattacks is another major issue.A c co r di n g t o N e w A m er i caFoundation the drone war against AlQaeda's leaders and, increasingly, theirPakistani-basedTaliban allies has been

waged with little public discussion orcongressional investigation of itslegality or efficacy. Current USleadership has not only continued thedrone program but expanded itfurther. In 2007, there were three dronestrikes in Pakistan, 34 in 2008, 53 in2009 and more than37 so far in2010.

One of the cruel facts formeri n t e ll i g e nc e o f f i c i a ls h a v eacknowledged is that in many cases,the CIA had little information about

those killed in the strikes. In January2006, US attempted to kill AbuKhabab and Aiman Zawahiri throughDrone attack when they were believedto be in Damadola, but instead killed80 civilians, including half-dozen kids.Who is accountable for thosekillings?

It is claimed by some USofficials that the attacks on Pakistanicivilians have been carried out on therequest of Pakistani authorities or with

their consent but the Chief of ArmyStaff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyanihas categorically said that there is noq ue sti on o f a ny a gr eem en t o r understandingwiththe coalitionforceswhereby they are allowed to conduct

operations on our side of the border.Even Asif Ali Zardari protested, "It'sundermining my sovereignty, and it'snot helping win the war on the heartsand minds of people." And, in January,Prime Minister Syed Yousuf RazaGilani told media that there was noagreement between his governmentand the Americans to allow the strikes.

Now CIA has been granted approvalby the US government to expand dronestrikes in other areas of Pakistan.

Shuja Nawaz, the author of says, "Any droneattack in provinces outside of the tribalregions would be disastrous, totallydestroying the American relationshipwiththe Pakistani army."

Problems with drone attacksare not limited to civilian causalities

but now this issue has started turninginto a complete volcano for Pakistan'sinternal stability. Ideology of revenge

Crossed Swords

Drone Attacks

and

National Sovereignty

Drone Attacks

and

National Sovereignty

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By: Shehla Zafar

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is gripping the victims and those whoare not in favor of any direct conflictwith US are looking towards armedforces for a proper reply. CIA claimsthat drone attacks have killed ten of al-Qaeda's 20 top commanders. But whatCIA doesn't tell the world is the factthat while killing those 10 militants,

the US has murdered more than 1400Pakistanis not involved in any terroristor extremist activities. Could it notimply that it killed 10 militants andgave birth to another 1400?

Lots of terrorists, who CIAbelieved, would have been killed inthese attacks are still alive in actualityand waging a ruthless propaganda warinside the country against armed forces

being complicit in these drone attacks.A notable thing is that Chief of thePakistan Air Force announced that hisforce has capability to strike down theUS drones and can do so if governmentdirects him to. Public pressure ongovernment is mounting throughmedia and civil society in this regardand recent surge in drone attackswould increase this pressure even

more.

If Pakistan decides to strikedown every US drone in the future,

what would US do? Situation hasalready gone out of control forUS inAfghanistan nowand US isforced to engage Taliban throughnegotiations. Any decision by

U S t o a tt ac k P ak is ta n i nretaliation would be disastrousfor US interests. China and Iranwould never like US presence inanother neighboring country sothey won't sit quietly. Russianswould have the best opportunityto avenge obviously. American

public would definitely standagainst its own government, thistime more aggressively due to

poor economy.

In above mentioned situationPakistan can make the life ofAmericans in Afghanistan a lotdifficult and can force USadministration to reconsidertheir drone war in Pakistani tribalareas, only reason why this isnot happening right now is

presence of a weak, inept andp r o - U S g o v e r n m e n t i nIslamabad. Looking at internal

politics and ever mounti ng

public pressure against US droneattacks in Pakistan it would be prudentto assume thatpolitical situationwouldnotremain the same in near future.

Current corrupt governmenthas even failed to send a strongmessage that US must refrain itselffrom violating Pakistan's Air space as

tolerance level against drone attacks inPakistani masses is reaching its criticalthresh hold.

C IA i s p ur su in g a ge nd aassigned by US administration to

protect its own interests and it wouldcontinue what it is doing right nowwith Pakistan's sovereignty. Questionis when Islamabad would realize that itis failing miserably in protecting itscitizen and interests? Only workablesolutions that guarantees accuratedrone strikes is to transfer the dronetechnology to the Pakistani forces sothat Pakistani forces can enhance theiroperational capabilities withoutcreating anti-American sentiments inthe local masses otherwise US mustget ready to face the consequences inAfghanistan by victims and their heirsand must forget about winning heartsand minds of Afghan or Pakistani

people.