Tag Archives: Pakistan
14 April 2013
Former Pakistani President Musharraf admitted that his government had agreed to CIA drone strikes in the country. This was the first acknowledgement by a Pakistani official that the Pakistani government has approved such strikes. Musharraf caveated that he signed off on strikes ‘only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and no chance of collateral damage.’ The admission diverges from the statements of most past and present Pakistani officials, who have said they oppose the strikes as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Source: CNN | Ex-Pakistani President Musharraf admits secret deal with U.S. on drone strikes
10 April 2013
The New York Times reports that the first person killed by a US drone attack, in 2004, was victim of a secret deal, under which the C.I.A. had agreed to kill him at the request of Pakistan. The victim, Mr. Muhammad, was not a top operative of Al Qaeda, but a Pakistani ally of the Taliban who led a tribal rebellion and was marked by Pakistan as an enemy of the state. The C.I.A. agreed to kill him in exchange for access to airspace it had long sought, in order to be able to use drones to hunt down its own enemies.
Source: The New York Times | A Secret Deal on Drones, Sealed in Blood
26 February 2013
Al Jazeera has published a report detailing involvement of the United Kingdom (UK) in drone attacks by the United States (US). The report states that the UK has been providing locational intelligence in order to assist US drone operators carrying out strikes in Pakistan, and that it has granted General Electric export licenses for products integral to the production of Predator drones.
Source: Al Jazeera | Foreign complicity in the drone war
23 January 2013
The New York Times reports that militant factions in Africa represent a new face of terrorism — groups that are violently anti-American but not under the command and control of al Qaeda (AQ) leaders in Pakistan.
The increasing role of such groups was also noted by the independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Benghazi in September 2012. This inquiry had noted that the context in which the global terrorism threat, as most often represented by al Qaeda is ‘fragmenting and increasingly devolving to local affiliates and other actors who share many of AQ’s aims, including violent anti-Americanism, without necessarily being organized or operated under direct AQ command and control.’
Source: The New York Times | Panel Assails Role of State Department in Benghazi Attack
Source: The New York Times | North Africa Is a New Test
1 February 2012
A leaked classified document from NATO describes a close involvement of Pakistan with Taliban in Afghanistan. The document reportedly says that “ISI is thoroughly aware of Taliban activities and the whereabouts of all senior Taliban personnel. Senior Taliban leaders meet regularly with ISI personnel, who advise on strategy and relay any pertinent concerns of the Government of Pakistan.”
Source: BBC | Pakistan helping Afghan Taliban
Source: Telegraph | Pakistan security services 'intimately involved' with assisting Afghan Taliban