Pakistan's New Prime Minister Demands An End To U.S. Drone Strikes

Pakistan’s New Premier Calls For Drone Strike Halt -- New York Times

LONDON — Nawaz Sharif took office as Pakistan’s prime minister for an unparalleled third time on Wednesday, vowing to tackle the country’s crippling electricity crisis and issuing an urgent call for the end of American drone strikes on Pakistani soil.

“The chapter of daily drone attacks should stop,” a grave-faced Mr. Sharif told the packed lower house of Parliament, where he won a comfortable majority of votes to become prime minister. “We respect the sovereignty of other countries, but others should also respect our sovereignty.”

Those comments resonated with many Pakistanis who view the C.I.A. missile strikes as a troubling symbol of American aggression – even if they occasionally kill Pakistan’s own enemies, like the country’s deputy Taliban leader, Wali ur-Rehman, who died in an attack last week.

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More News On Pakistan's New PM Demanding An End To US Drone Strikes

Pakistan demands end to U.S. drone strikes -- for the ninth time -- Passport/Foreign Policy
Newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif puts U.S. drones in crosshairs -- Washington Times
Pakistan's new PM calls for an end to drone strikes -- France 24/AFP
Pakistan PM Sharif sworn in, calls for end to drone strikes -- Reuters
Pakistan's newly-elected prime minister calls for an end to U.S. drone strikes -- AP
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif urges end to US drone strikes -- BBC
New Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calls on US to halt drone strikes -- NBC
New Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif launches term on vow to stop U.S. drone strikes -- CBS
Pakistan PM Demands End To US Drone Strikes -- SKY News
Pakistan's PM calls for end to drone strikes -- Al Jazeera
Pakistan Really Doesn't Want to Be a U.S. Drone Target Anymore -- Commor Simpson, The Atlantic

More U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan

US forces have stepped up strikes by remotely-controlled drones in Pakistan's border regions since the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in the country last month. Reuters Photo

26 People Killed In Two U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan -- Xinhuanet

ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 26 people were killed in two U.S. drone strikes launched Monday in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of South Waziristan, reported local Urdu TV channel Geo.

According to the local media reports, the U.S. drones launched two strikes in the same afore-said area on Monday.

During the first strike launched on Monday afternoon, four missiles were fired by U.S. drones at a vehicle suspected of carrying militants in the Wana area of South Waziristan, reportedly killing 12 people.

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More News On Today's U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan

US Predators kill 21 in South Waziristan strikes -- Long War Journal
US drones strikes kill 21 in South Waziristan -- DAWN
Deaths reported in Pakistan drone attacks -- Al Jazeera
U.S. drones kill 21 militants in NW Pakistan -- Reuters
26 killed as US drones strike twice a day -- Online International News

Another U.S. Missile Drone Strike In Pakistan

US Predators Hit A Taliban Camp In North Waziristan -- Long War Journal

US Predators struck again in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan today, killing 20 "militants" at a camp on the border with Afghanistan.

Unmanned Predators or the heavily armed and deadly Reapers fired at least six missiles at a training camp and a vehicle in the village of Bangi Darra in the Ghulam Khan area, just north of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

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More News On The Latest U.S. Drone Missile Strike In Pakistan

U.S. missile strike kills 20 militants in Pakistan -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Suspected US missiles kill 20 in NW Pakistan -- Yahoo News/AP
Pakistan drone attack 'kills 20 militants' -- BBC
Suspected drone strike kills 20 in Pakistan -- CNN
U.S. missiles kill 20 in Pakistan border town -- MSNBC
Drone strike kills 20 militants -- UPI
15 Militants Killed In Suspected US Drone Strikes - Update -- RTT News

U.S. Predators Are On The Hunt Again For Al Qaeda/Taliban Militants After Killing 11 In Pakistan

The target of the drone strike was a house in Inzarkas village in Dattakhel area. Photo AFP

US Predators Kill 11 'Militants' In al Qaeda Hub Of Datta Khel -- Long War Journal

US Predators killed 11 "militants" in a series of Predator strikes today in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The unmanned Predators or more deadly Reapers fired missiles at a compound and vehicles in the town of Lataka in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, The Associated Press reported. The Predators first fired on a compound, killing four "militants." Two vehicles were then fired on, killing five more terrorists, including two "foreigners," a term used to describe Arab or Central Asian al Qaeda fighters. The Predators then struck the compound as Taliban fighters attempted to recover bodies from the rubble, killing four more militants.

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More News On US Drone Strikes In Pakistan

Suspected US missiles strikes kill 11 in Pakistan -- AP
Four drone strikes kill 11 in N Waziristan -- The Daily News
Four US Drone Strikes Kill 11 in Pakistan -- Antiwar.com
US missiles kill 11 in Pakistan -- Examiner
Strike out terrorist safe havens in N Waziristan: Gates to Pak -- Times Of India

U.S. Drone Strikes Continue In Pakistan

Suspected U.S. Drone Kills Five In Pakistan -- CNN

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suspected U.S. drone strike killed five suspected militants in Pakistan's tribal region on Sunday morning, intelligence officials told CNN.

Two intelligence officials said two missiles were fired on the hideout of suspected militants in the Data Khel area of North Waziristan, one of seven districts in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The intelligence officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

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More News On Today's U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan

Officials: Airstrike kills 4 militants in Pakistan -- AP
Deaths in Pakistan 'drone' attack -- Al Jazeera
US drone strike kills six in N Waziristan -- Daily Times
U.S. drone strike kills 6 in Pakistani tribal area -- People's Daily

My Comment: I have lost count on how many U.S. drone strikes have happened in the past week, but it appears that these strikes are now happening everyday.

From where I stand, it is clear that the green light has been given to take out Taliban commanders and their Al Qaeda allies, and to do it as quickly as possible.

Another Drone Attack In Pakistan

Suspected US Missile Strike 'Kills 12 In NW Pakistan' -- BBC

A suspected US drone missile strike in Pakistan has killed at least 12 militants in a tribal area near the Afghan border, Pakistani officials say.

The strike hit a compound used by militants in Issori village in North Waziristan, the officials said.

The region that has become a stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaeda and has been repeatedly hit by similar attacks.

Pakistan publicly objects to the strikes but analysts believe they have the private backing of officials.

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More News On Yesterday's Drone Missile Strike

US Predator strike kills 12 in North Waziristan -- Long War Journal
US drone strike kills 13 in Pakistan -- AFP
Deaths in Pakistan drone attack -- Al Jazeera
Officials: Alleged US missiles kill 12 in Pakistan -- AP
Drone kills 12 militants in Pakistan's tribal region, officials say -- CNN
Pakistan Intelligence: Missile Strike Kills 12 in Pakistan -- Voice of America
U.S. missile strike kills 12 militants in Pakistan -- Reuters

A Comprehensive Analysis Of US Drone Strikes In The AfghanPak Theater

An MQ-9 Reaper taxis down a runway in Afghanistan. The Reaper has been flying in Afghanistan since September; it flew its first combat mission in Iraq on July 19. STAFF SGT. BRIAN FERGUSON / AIR FORCE

The Year of the Drone -- New American Foundation

An Analysis of U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan, 2004-2010.

This research was last updated on February 25, 2010. For a full analysis of the repercussions and results of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, please click here for "The Year of the Drone," by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann, February 24, 2010. The research on these pages, which we have created in a good faith effort to be as transparent as possible with our sources and analysis and will be updated regularly, draws only on accounts from reliable media organizations with deep reporting capabilities in Pakistan, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, accounts by major news services and networks—the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, CNN, and the BBC—and reports in the leading English-language newspapers in Pakistan—the Daily Times, Dawn, and the News—as well as those from Geo TV, the largest independent Pakistani television network.

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Update: US drone strikes in Pakistan of limited value: report -- Yahoo News/AFP

My Comment: Kudos to Peter Bergen, Katherine Tiedemann, and the New American Foundation for compiling this report. I am sure that there is going to be a lot of commentary and analysis on this report in the next day or two .... as for myself I will be looking at it more closely tomorrow.

Another US Drone Missile Strike In Pakistan

Suspected US Drone Strike Kills At Least 20 In Pakistan's South Waziristan -- Voice of America

Attacks in Pakistan's southern Shaktoi area have become a source of friction between the U.S. and Pakistan, which sees them as a violation of its sovereignty.

Pakistani officials say a suspected U.S. drone missile strike has killed at least 20 militants. Authorities say the toll could rise.

Sunday's attack took place in the Shaktoi area of Pakistan's restive South Waziristan region.

Saturday, Pakistani Taliban militants issued a new audio recording they said proved their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, survived a suspected U.S. missile strike last week.

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More News On Today's US Missile Strike In Pakistan

Drone attack kills 20 in Pakistan -- CNN
Foreigners among 20 Taliban killed in SWA drone strike -- Daily Times
US drone attack claims 20 lives in Pakistan -- Press TV
US drone strike 'kills 20 militants in NW Pakistan' -- AFP
Drone strikes continue: 20 dead in fresh NW attack -- Pakistan Observer
Pakistan Says Drone Strike Kills 15 -- New York Times

Another Wanted Terrorist By The FBI Killed In Pakistan

Photo: Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim (Photo form the FBI)

U.S. Kills Wanted Terrorist in Pakistan -- Time Magazine

(DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan) — A U.S. missile strike in Pakistan killed one of the FBI's most-wanted terrorists, a man suspected in a deadly 1986 plane hijacking with a $5 million bounty on his head, three Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday.

The death would be the latest victory for the CIA-led missile campaign against militant targets in Pakistan's insurgent-riddled tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, a campaign that has recently escalated. One Thursday is believed to have missed Pakistan's Taliban chief.

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More News On The Death Of Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim

US Kills FBI-Wanted Terrorist in Pakistan Strike -- New York Times
Pakistan officials: U.S. killed militant on FBI list -- CTV
Pan Am Flight-73 alleged hijacker ‘killed’ in drone attack in Pakistan -- Asian Tribune
Pakistan: Strike kills FBI ‘most wanted’ militant -- MSNBC