32% of those individuals obliterated in northwestern Pakistan by U.S. drones over the past 6 years have been civilians, according to a recent report by the New America Foundation which compiled and analyzed the results of 114 drone strikes that killed over 1,000 people.
Drone strikes: an unpopular but necessary evil
Contemplating the mind-numbing percentage of civilian casualties, it comes as no shock that these unmanned flying death squads are somewhat unpopular among the Pakistani public, with only 9% approving of the Predator strikes, according to a August 2009 Gallup poll. It is also not surprising that, in the same poll, 59% of participants said they believed the U.S. was the greatest threat to Pakistan’s national security. India placed second with 18% of the vote while the Pakistani Taliban came in third with an 11% tally.
Pakistan's government has opposed the strikes from the outset because, on top of killing a multitude of civilians, they believe the drone program violates Pakistan’s national sovereignty. Pakistan’s support is crucial to U.S. interests because they need Pakistan to root out terrorists within their own borders, thus it is with great risk that the U.S. continues these types of attacks.
So one would think winning the hearts and minds of Pakistan’s populace is just as important as enhancing U.S. public perception in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal has put strict limits on the use of U.S. air power in order to minimize civilian deaths that could drive the locals to support the Taliban. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, we let Predators run amok.
More:
http://www.examiner.com/x-30980-Afghanistan-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m2d27-1-out-of-every-3-killed-by-US-drone-in-Pakistan-is-a-civilian
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
