US drone strike kills six in North Waziristan

The US is not even making a pretense of stopping these attacks and Pakistani complaints are becoming more and more hollow and perhaps shows that there is indeed a tacit agreement to allow the attacks even though they are likely counterproductive and just produce more militants bent on revenge. Even if Pakistan wanted to shoot down the drones, they are often in areas unsafe for Pakistani forces to venture themselves. This is from antiwar.com.

US Drone Strike Kills Six in North Waziristan





A US drone fired missiles at what was described by local officials as “the houses of a suspected Taliban militant” near Mir Ali, in North Waziristan Agency, killing six people and injuring an unknown number of others. A local intelligence official said Taliban cordoned off the attacked site, and suggested this could mean a high value target was among the casualties.
The strike is the first reported hit by US drones into Pakistani territory this month, and the latest in dozens of strikes across the border as part of what has been described as a deliberate escalation of attacks on militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Pakistan’s government has condemned the strikes publicly, but is reported to have privately reached a “tacit agreement” with the United States regarding them. Pakistan has also claimed it is considering shooting down the drones, but once again there is no indication that they made any effort to do so.
compiled by Jason Ditz [email the author