Pakistan takes u-turn on drone strikes

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/SOU-02-011113.html



Pakistan takes u-turn on drone strikes
Syed Fazl-e-Haider
Nov 1, '13

KARACHI - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistani government have come under heavy fire for a sudden U-turn on its policy over US drone strikes in the country's northwestern tribal areas along Afghanistan border following the Sharif's visit to Washington last month. Criticism has culminated in the opposition in the Senate seeking an apology for inaccurate figures in past statements on the number of civilians killed in drone strikes.

Data released by Pakistan's Ministry of Defense negates claims by local political and religious parties that US drone strikes in Pakistan have mostly killed innocent civilians, including women and children. The government claims that more than 2,000 suspected terrorists have been killed in 317 drone strikes in the past five years, while 67 innocent civilians died in these attacks. Not a single civilian died in the 59 strikes conducted in 2012 and 2013, but 319 militants were killed, according to defense ministry figures.

The new figures endorses the US claim that estimates of civilian casualties in the hundreds are excessive and its defense of the drone campaign as just, legal and accurate. Recognition of the discrepancy in the figures indicates that the Pakistani government has taken a U-turn on in its stance over US drone strikes.

Some media reports, which have already revealed a secret Pakistan-US collusion for drone strikes, claim that drone attacks in the country have been carried out with the consent of the Pakistan government. Leaked documents from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Pakistani memos published by the Washington Post last week appear to back that. [1] Critics say that the difference in figures exposes the government's approval for drone attacks under a clandestine deal with the CIA.