Pakistan Condemns Deadly U.S. Airstrike

[cal04]

Pakistan on Saturday condemned a deadly airstrike in which the U.S. reportedly targeted al-Qaida's second-in-command, as villagers whose homes were destroyed denied the militant was ever there and thousands of Pakistanis protested the attack. The statement came after U.S. networks, citing unnamed American intelligence officials, reported that a CIA-operated Predator drone aircraft carried out the missile strike Friday and that it was aimed at Ayman al-Zawahri in the Bajur tribal region of northwestern Pakistan.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed did not directly blame the U.S. for the attack, which killed at least 17 people, but he said the government wanted "to assure the people we will not allow such incidents to reoccur." Two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press on Saturday that the CIA had acted on incorrect information, and al-Zawahri was not in the village of Damadola when it came under attack. Al-Zawahri is ranked No. 2 in the al-Qaida terror network, second only to Osama bin Laden.

"Their information was wrong, and our investigations conclude that they acted on a false information," said a senior intelligence official. His account was confirmed by a senior government official, who said al-Zawahri "was not there."
Meanwhile, sporadic protests broke out against the attack and hundreds of local tribesmen torched the office of the Associated Development Construction, a U.S.-funded aid group, in Khar, a small town near Bajur. The mob ransacked furniture and computers, but no injuries were reported, resident Haji Habibullah said.

An AP reporter who visited the scene in Damadola village about 12 hours after the airstrike saw three destroyed houses hundreds of yards apart. Villagers recounted hearing aircraft overhead moments before the attack. By their count at least 30 people died, including women and children.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060114/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_al_qaida_attack

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Winning friends around the world. Boy, are we good.

But no one will be held accountable by the Bushies.

[FloridaPat]

2. We're bombing Pakistan now? The CIA sure acts on a lot

of incorrect information.

[murray hill farm]

5. how long before...

"mistaken" info has "terrorists" living in USA neighborhoods? Yeah, i know it sounds crazy, but...a lot of things happening are things we never thought could ever happen...even just a few years ago.

[Auntie Bush]

14. Hell, even a few WERKS ago!

[0007]

70. "The Death Squad Master" is never wrong.

[Donkeykick]

72. It is like Rummey says...

"he is either there or he isn't.":rofl:

[Toots]

3. "our investigations conclude that they acted on a false information,"

This is becoming the MO of the USA....

[formercia]

8. They were probably conned by some false informant

the CIA gets screwed all the time by cons. I hope the Case Officer that recruited him goes in for a refresher course on handling agents.

In defense of the CIA, the Pakistanis can't be trusted. They were the ones who decided which groups recieved aid during the conflict against the Soviets and it was for the most part, the most radical Wahabi elements.If they really want to get those responsible, they aught to hit ISI Headquarters in Rawalpindi, that's where all the movers and shakers are and probably where Osama bin Forgotten is hanging out.

[Toots]

9. You sound very informed why if I might ask

are you "formercia"

[formercia]

47. I no longer work there.....

[Toots]

65. That would be the meaning of the word former but my question was why?

:shrug:

[formercia]

68. There's an old saying that goes:

There's 3 kinds of lies
The lies you tell to people on the outside
The lies you tell to people on the inside
and the lies you tell yourself.

Too many lies.

[truth2power]

13. More than likely we acted on information

obtained through torturing some poor cab driver who knew nothing of value.

I totally agree that ISI Headquarters would be the place to start if they really wanted the responsible parties.

On the other hand, I'm sure Emperor Pissypants knows where Osama is. Probably sending him a check every month for his help on 911. :evilfrown:

[symbolman]

74. Just wondering

as I understand it there were reports that before we invaded and occupied Iraq that the Pakis had to deal with our troops coming into their country and gaining control of their nukes, something done under the table so that that India would not be aware giving them a chance to take the Pakis out..

Possible? Anyone else hear this? I even heard that we REMOVED their nukes for safety..

We all know that the leader is a crook and a scoundrel, in a democratic vote there I think he received something like 97% of the vote which of course is flatly Impossible (unless you have unfettered Diebold access :) )..

[formercia]

79. No Idea

I doubt if they would relinquish control of their nuclear forces.

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Jes spreadin' summore freeeedom

& demcraceeee. We're makin' progreeess and doin' a heckuva job. SG

[NJCher]

80. excuse me

That would be "good progress."

As opposed to "bad progress."




Cher

[Surya Gayatri]

82. LOL! Yeah, mustn't forget that

qualifier--all evidence of negative progress to the contrary! After all, bad=good, peace=war, enemy=friend in BushWorld. SG

[no_hypocrisy]

6. This is a strategy to desensitize the world to the U.S. bombing countries

in the name of saving the world. That way, when our military bombs Iran, it will be no big woof. Just another day of doing our job as the world's police force.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. How many more times will we see this type of criminal behavior from

our white house?
How many boys and girls will be buried because of a mistake?

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

[cal04]

10. Pakistan to summon U.S. ambassador to protest air strike

updated
Pakistan said on Saturday it was summoning the U.S. ambassador to protest against an airstrike that killed civilians in a village where U.S. intelligence officials suspected al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri was visiting.

"The U.S. Ambassador will be called to the foreign office," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told journalists, adding a protest would be lodged over the attack on Friday in which, according to residents, 18 civilians were killed.

http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=1020714§ion=news&src=rss/uk/topNews


Pakistan furious over air strikes
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17829412%255E1702,00.html

The incident came days after Pakistan, an important ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, lodged a strong protest with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, saying cross-border firing in the nearby Waziristan area last weekend killed eight people.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6383173&cKey=1137249329000

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. and now the US refuses to comment.

when its "good" news, we have WH cheerleaders. When the real truth comes out, silence.


CNN just reported that the majority of the victims were women and children.
I am an athiest, but,
GOD DAMN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION! MAY YOU ROT IN THE HELL OF YOUR OWN MAKING.

[WhiteTara]

12. does this mean we didn't ask permission?

Sure sounds like we acted unilaterally again.

[pfitz59]

15. Uh...most likely.....

Where was the Chimp? Speaking before kids or soldiers again?

[cal04]

17. more information coming out

Pakistan says it does not allow Afghan or the 20,000 U.S. forces in
Afghanistan to cross the border in pursuit of Taliban and al-Qaida believed to be hiding there. The war on terror is opposed by many in this Islamic nation of 150 million people.

Pakistan's information minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, called the "incident" in Damadola "highly condemnable."

The Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying a protest had been filed with the U.S. Embassy.

"According to preliminary investigations there was foreign presence in the area and that in all probability was targeted from across the border in Afghanistan," the Foreign Ministry said.

http://www.buzzflash.com/?track=Head

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. "Ask permission"?? NeoCons don't need no stinkin' permission!

[cliss]

46. This is not the first time this has happened.

About 1 month ago, there was an article about how Hamid Karzai met with Donald Rumsfailed when he visited there.

Karzai was upset because the US did a bombing raid close to the border. People were very upset, there were demonstrations and riots. The US had killed men, women & children.

This is what happens when you have an Imperial Power that has no regard for people anywhere.

[Rose Siding]

16. CNN reports 5 children were killed

Down in the article, news that five children were killed by this CIA strike. How can this be accepted?

"Friday morning's strike killed eight men, five women and five children, Pakistani intelligence sources told CNN. Three homes were targeted."
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/14/alqaeda.strike/index.html

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. MSNBC just had a report with footage....very bloody, grisly stuff.

[splat@14]

20. Pakistan Condemns Purported CIA Airstrike

By RIAZ KHAN, Associated Press Writer
54 minutes ago



DAMADOLA, Pakistan - Pakistan on Saturday condemned a purported CIA airstrike on a border village that officials said unsuccessfully targeted al-Qaida's second-in-command, and said it was protesting to the U.S. Embassy over the attack that killed at least 17 people.



Thousands of local tribesmen, chanting "God is Great," demonstrated against the attack, claiming the victims were local villagers without terrorist links and had never hosted Ayman al-Zawahri.

Two senior Pakistani officials told The Associated Press that the CIA acted on incorrect information in launching the attack early Friday in the northwestern village of Damadola, near the Afghan border.

Citing unidentified American intelligence officials, U.S. news networks reported that CIA-operated Predator drone aircraft carried out the missile strike because al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, was thought to be at a compound in the village or about to arrive.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060114/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_al_qaida_attack;_ylt=AjYYwQ8QClw.ar6z_ZnCndms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. Oh, that went well, didn't it?

We're winning those hearts and minds everywhere. :sarcasm:

[SOS]

88. On winning hearts and minds....

"Thousands of tribesmen, led by a local parliamentarian, protested the killings on Saturday, chanting anti-American and anti-government slogans in the town of Khaar, the central administrative center of Bajaur.
After the rally dispersed, 800 to 900 men went on a rampage and attacked the offices of two nongovernmental organizations in the town, according to the local Pakistani reporter. People in the crowd looted computers from an American-financed aid organization called BEST and then torched the compound. The office of an Italian aid group, Intersos, was smashed and looted before the authorities intervened."

NYT 1/15/06

[medeak]

22. am sickened.. n/t

[skooooo]

23. What! They have a problem with this???

Don't they know about our surgical airstrikes designed to minimize collaterol damange???

[neweurope]

24. Pakistan is a US ally, isn't it? You bomb even towns of your

ALLIES?

Nice. Carry on...

-----------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. Does this mean we get to bomb suspected terrorist cells in London?

[splat@14]

26. London hell, Padilla is in New York!

[LisaL]

28. How about here in US? Why the hell not?

[MrPrax]

27. "that killed at least 17 people"

"CIA acted on incorrect information"--

So the terrorists killed 17 people just because...I think the taxpayer would prefer that if you are simply killing indiscriminately, it's cheaper to rig up a roadside bomb than waste a few million on Predators...

Are they trying to de-stablize the Pakistani dictatorship now?

[Surya Gayatri]

83. You're right, MrPax

The insurgents sure seem to do indiscriminate killing much more cheaply and efficiently than our side. A kilo or two of explosives, some wire, an ammo belt, and presto! And about destabilization? Why stop with Pakistan, when you can set the whole region on fire? Gotta think big! SG

[WhiteTara]

29. Qaeda No.2 away during attack: Pakistan official

euters - 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. airstrike in Pakistan targeted al Qaeda's second-in-command, U.S. sources said, but Ayman al-Zawahri was away at the time, according to a senior Pakistani official on Saturday.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Osama_bin_Laden_and_al_Qaida/

we are becoming to be more popular every day!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

30. Oh good..... now we can try and convict him ya know... the normal

way of doing things.... or is normal out for now?

[IndianaGreen]

31. and how many innocent civilians did we kill?

When it comes to terrorism, America has Al-Qaeda beat by miles!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

32. Insert your Al-qaeda no. 2 joke here: n/t

[LisaL]

33. So, basically we just bombed some innocent people, just

for the hell of it? I wonder WTF would we be saying if some other country did that to us?

[IndianaGreen]

45. they weren't white and they weren't Christians

their lives mean nothing to the all-powerful Amerika.

[leesa]

34. Yeah, right. This the guy that gave the bogus info to help get the heat

off Bush's dropping poll numbers?

[johnfunk]

35. And Ayman was so miffed that it was HIS turn...

... to make the lunchtime falafel run.

As for the air strike: stupid, stupid, stupid.

Frankly, I want to see Ayman and Osama captured and put on trial. I oppose the death penalty, but in their cases I'd gladly make an exception.

[dapper]

36. what gives our govt the right?

To bomb where ever they want, whenever they want?

Our Govt is the Terrorists!

Dap

[EuroObserver]

43. "Our Govt is the Terrorists!"

Um, I'm not sure you're gonna be allowed to continue saying that much longer...

Did I hear somebody refer to 'bloggers' as "the frontline in the cold civil war"?

Watch out, I say.

(Sometimes I wonder if I'll make it to 1000 posts here myself ).:think:

[pinerow]

37. Having dinner with Musharaff, no doubt.

nt

[Surya Gayatri]

85. Bingo!

Hand in glove. If Musharraf wants to remain in power, he has to play both ends against the middle in an intensely anti-American nation. SG

[postulater]

38. If al-Zawahri was in Toronto

would we just bomb a few neighborhoods in Toronto to see what would happen?

[johnfunk]

41. That's a HECKUVA good idea! Gotta kill those tairists...

... and God knows that Junior doesn't trust those Molson-drinking northerners -- heck, their flag's RED, just like our Commienist enemies in... er... um... never mind.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

39. In the immortal words of Emily Litella:

Never mind....

[rodeodance]

40. and once again..........

[neweurope]

42. Isn't Pakistan your ally? You're bombing towns of your

ALLIES now? Keep up the good work...

-----------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[IndianaGreen]

44. Anything that brings down the Musharraf dictatorship is a good thing

and perhaps the destruction of an entire village and the deaths of so many innocent people, including women and children, will raise the popular passions and topple this military tyrant from power.

I am also not surprised about the lack of regret, on the part of the Bush dictatorship and a majority of Americans, to the killing of innocents. I understand Christianity better now: killing a fetus with an abortion is murder, killing a fetus with an America bomb is a virtue!

[ptolle]

67. yabut

I don't know how to do the sarcasm thing so I'm just going to have to hope that it comes through.Them there fetuses yaknow why they might grow up to become good god-fearin taxpayin church goin murkan citizens, maybe even enlist for the next military misadventure. And you just know these here brown skinned chilluns why they was headed down the path to jihad sure as shootin. It was just a preemptive strike in the GWOT.

[Surya Gayatri]

86. But what to replace

him with? Another Fundamentalist Theocracy? Rock meet hard place. SG

[Wise Doubter]

48. Pakistan -al-Qaida's second-in-command MISSED HIM AGAIN

DAMADOLA, Pakistan - Pakistan on Saturday condemned a purported CIA airstrike on a border village that officials said unsuccessfully targeted al-Qaida's second-in-command, and said it was protesting to the U.S. Embassy over the attack that killed at least 17 people

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060114/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_al_qaida_attack




We all knew it !!

[LiberalEsto]

49. Which Second-in-command?

There seem to have been a few.

[mom cat]

52. Its the one with the beard!

:evilgrin:

[stray cat]

55. Al Zawari - the Egyption doctor on most of the video tapes

and probably the real mover and shaker instead of Bin Laden. The only other one who admitted responsibility for 9-11 besides Bin Laden.

[raysr]

50. They never really thought he

was there. They had these missles and there was this village so why not? Looked good in the headlines for ....12 hours?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

51. I bet he buys an extra heavy duty umbrella this week. nt.

[shain from kane]

53. And some new britches.He'll have to sleep outside of

the cave for a couple of days.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

54. Hey you... welcome to DU. :) nt.

[cantstandbush]

56. Sending drones to do a man's job? Just wonderful!!

If Al-Zagarwi is so important why don't we have boots on the ground to get him? Of course it's just easier to send missiles from ships to blow up people we don't care about or know who they are.
If any other country was doing this the entire world would be taking them to the UN and forming a coalition against them. We allowed 2200 US soldiers to be killed in the name of getting one man, Saddam, when we had ample opportunity to get him many times but we THOUGHT the Iraqis would not fight back. Now when the a real terrorist might be captured we send in drones because we KNOW these people will fight back. And the Swiftboaters call Kerry and Murtha undeserving medalists? WTF?

[bullimiami]

57. Missed him by 'that' much.....

[Starlight]

58. These morans couldn't find their butt using both hands and a flashlight.

Maybe if they blow up the whole world they'll finally get him. :freak: :nuke:

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

63. the gang that couldn't shoot straight DOES have on the FOOTBALL!

Watch out!
The road sign says:
Children crossing with very dangerous toys

:scared:

[EuroObserver]

59. Still missing...

NBC News reported that U.S. and Pakistani officials said Predator drones had fired as many as 10 missiles at Damadola in the Bajur tribal region. ABC quoted anonymous Pakistani military sources as saying al-Zawahri could have been among five top al-Qaida officials believed killed.

...

Doctors told AP that at least 17 people died in the attack, but residents of Damadola, a Pashtun tribal hamlet on a hillside about four miles from the Afghan border, said more than 30 died. They recounted hearing aircraft fly overhead before explosions in the village that were felt miles away.

Speaking as he dug through the rubble of his home, Zaman said he heard planes at around 2:40 a.m. and then eight huge explosions. He said planes had been flying over the village for three or four days.

At another destroyed house, Sami Ullah, a 17-year-old student, said 24 of his family members were killed and vowed he would "seek justice from God."

Yes, many other threads on this now in DU, thanks.

Missing so far in msm reports: "The US Administration has so far expressed no regrets."

[Danieljay]

60. Lets put this in perspective that Americans might be able to understand...

I'm from Kansas originally (yes, there are progressives there). I lived about 6 miles from the town that had BTK (bond, torture, kill guy). Lets say, for example they knew who he was and were tracking him. One day, several families in a friendly neighborhood are lets say, sitting down for dinner. Little do they know, BTK is visiting his unsuspecting relatives next door. The CIA, hearing that, order airstrikes dropping 4, I'll say that again and spell it out for ya, FUCKING FOUR 500 POUND BOMBS. Every family on the block dies and BTK was actually out having dinner with his relatives or had LEFT the day earlier.

How the FUCK would Americans feel?

I'm sorry, as a man of faith I don't like getting this upset...but this is NUTS and only contributes to the terror WE will experience as a result of killing INNOCENT civilians.

[niallmac]

71. AMERIKA CAN NOW DO WHATEVER IT WANTS. WE ARE RENEGADE!

Within the mentality that ordered this madness is embedded the very reason 911 happened at all.
This IS NOT a U.S. problem. This is a WORLD problem. Only an international coalition against the
renegade militarism of this, my homeland, will save the less fortunate, those who are not gods
chosen consumers.

[phylny]

87. This is exactly what I was thinking!

What country has the right to do this? What country??

How freaking furious would one of us be if a loved one was killed by a foreign government and "Oops!" they were "wrong."

I'm so ashamed to be an American. My money paid for this, and for what purpose?

[socalover]

61. Where is the Fucking UN? nt

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

62. Does Pakistan have any say? We don't even ask Permission? U.S.= TERRORIST

What we,( the U.S.A.)have done is is by definition "terrorism" as opposed to a "military strike".

At least 17 people have died--well, if 50 people actually died then
I guess it's technically TRUE that at least 17 people died.


And people is better defined as
innocent civillians: "entire families, mothers, children, elderly, homes,pets,family photo albums, life savings, etc"
(sounds more like a tsunami or natural disaster-do you think then this govt. should send "relief"?

So let's rewrite the AP HEADLINE that the Media can't seem to figure out how to correctly write:

Yesterday the U.S. Military targets Village killing aproximately 50 innocent men women and children.
Bungled intellegence once again takes innocent life...

These idiots cannot be trusted and cannot be allowed to be armed.

Reminding everyone--these same bungling idiots have the "the football" ((((:nuke:))))

[Ladyhawk]

64. Unfuckingbelievable.

Why am I shocked? I shouldn't be shocked. This is *'s modus operandi.

[Hyernel]

66. It's an act of war. Pakistan SHOULD be pissed.

[Rose Siding]

69. photo of 5 yr old girl in hospital (mildly graphic, extremely disturbing)

Pakistani doctor fixes tube of Shabana Gul, 5, at local hospital in Bajour, Pakistan along Afghanistan border Saturday Jan.14, 2006 who is allegedly injured by Friday's airstrikes in Damadola, where at least 17 people were killed, Pakistan on Saturday condemned a purported CIA airstrike that officials said unsuccessfully targeted al-Qaida's No. 2 man while killing at least 17 people in a Damadola near the Afghan border. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zubair)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/14/AR2006011400641.html

[daleo]

73. Is Pakistan doomed to become an EOB (enemy of Bush)?

As the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons, their position seems insecure. Granted, it may be the nukes themselves that prevent an attack, unless Bush wants to go full-scale crazy.

This seems quite provocative.

[Surya Gayatri]

84. The poor Muslim masses already are

extremely anti-American. It's only those who are on the take from American largesse who make a pretense of being pro-US. SG

[IndianaGreen]

75. Eight women and five children among the dead!

These are people that don't even know there is a country named America!

But tribesmen in Damadola village in the Bajur tribal area said only locals were killed - 18 of their kinfolk, including eight women and five children.

<snip>

Haroon Rashid, the area's National Assembly representative, was quoted by the Afghan Islamic Press news agency as saying: "I know all the 18 people killed. There was neither al-Zawahri nor any other Arab among them. Rather they were all poor people of the area."

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3BB59B7D-28A6-4B96-B220-63B5C4005B9D.htm

[splat@14]

76. 18 more deaths in Bush's war on terror. These people probably

never heard of the World Trade Center. They were almost certainly brown people that didn't support or even know those that ordered their deaths. In Gods eyes they were equal to any of us.

Made me ill today to listen to faux news where all they were concerned about was the effect it was going to have on Musharrif (sp?).

[wordpix]

77. uh, guess the intel wasn't so hot on that one, either

[wordpix]

78. I am so embarassed to be an American with this fucking Chimp as prez

[NJCher]

81. bush is an abysmal failure at catching terrorists

I've been sick about this ever since I heard about it. Imagine those families out there, grief stricken, without homes. How ever can their lives be normal? The world should be outraged over this and action must be taken against these reckless fools who have no respect for human life.

This issue should be all over the news as an example of what a failure Junior is at catching "terists."

I watched on the NBC news after their initial report and they interviewed some consultant. The news anchor asked if there was anything redeemable that came from the incident (even though not one word of regret had been uttered of the consequences of this action) . The consultant responded that the terrorists would know there's always someone after them.

This is a reaction to killing innocent people and destroying their homes? I am disgusted and sickened beyond belief. I am enraged.




Cher