Suspected US Drones Kill 38 in Pakistan

[tekisui]

Source: Guardian

Three suspected US missile strikes in north-western Pakistan in less than 12 hours have killed at least 38 alleged militants, an unusually heavy barrage at a time when relations between the two countries are badly strained, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The strikes follow the Obama administration's announcement that it is suspending more than one-third of US military aid to Pakistan until disagreements are worked out. The attacks indicate the White House has no intention of stopping the unmanned drone programme, even though the attacks have increasingly caused tension with Pakistan.

In the latest strike, suspected US missiles hit a house in Dremala village in the South Waziristan tribal area early on Tuesday, killing at least eight alleged militants, according to two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other officials put the death toll from the strike at 13. The village is located close to the border with North Waziristan.

Before dawn on Tuesday, suspected US missiles hit a house in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, killing 10 alleged militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials.

more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/12/us-drones-pakistan

[paparush]

1. Preemptive (the watered down premeditated). Unilateral. Overwhelming force.

Gods, this is sickeningly familiar.

[rucky]

2. How soon before we're at war with Pakistan?

[tekisui]

4. We've been at war with Pakistan for years. Obama greatly increased

the drones strikes in Pakistan. Pakistan has fired some 700 missiles into Afghanistan towards locals and US forces there.

[gratuitous]

3. Militant-only missiles?

Summary executions, nice. I'm so old, I remember when the United States was against that sort of thing, at least publicly. We used to have a certain credibility and authority to denounce people and countries that did this. Not anymore.

[tekisui]

5. It is a winning tactic, kill them before they have the chance to become

terrorists or extremists or whatever it is we need to call them to kill them with impunity.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[tekisui]

7. We have no business killing there, duder.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[tekisui]

8. Reuters says the toll is 45.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/12/us-pakistan-missile-idUSTRE76B0I320110712

[Bonobo]

11. Killing spree. Mass murder.

It's not a war, so those people must be guilty without a shadow of a doubt (of something).

[tekisui]

12. Hundreds killed in Pakistan, over 100 in Yemen.

It is a killing spree. It is preemptive. The Bush-Obama Doctrine is expanding daily.

[gratuitous]

13. Kick for the sickening aspect of it all

This is all of a piece with how I am increasingly coming to view the administration. A lot of the things that I hoped "change" would be applied to in the United States haven't changed at all and have actually intensified. There's always a real good reason for raining death from above on unsuspecting people who can't get away, but I can't get over the sickening aspect of it all. I wonder if the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks would have been excused if they would have just advanced the case that they were massacring "militants"?

[masonjason22]

14. hope

Let's hope no one else was hurt