Pakistani Taliban leader possibly killed in U.S. drone strike

[Ulysses G.]

And it is plain for everyone to see that the pro US newsletters are not so well researched. That's why we find it difficult to fathom anyone would actually believe them.

"Pro US newsletters"? Who bothers with newsletters? Don't you mean The New York Times?

[metisdead]

A totally off topic post has been removed. Keep it up and you'll find your posting rights removed.

[Wallaby]

And it is plain for everyone to see that the pro US newsletters are not so well researched. That's why we find it difficult to fathom anyone would actually believe them.

"Pro US newsletters"? Who bothers with newsletters? Don't you mean The New York Times?

Fox 'news' seems more apt.

[Mosha]

When it comes to the Taliban. The Pakistani government/military have odd standards. Fight the Pakistani Taliban while arm and train the Afghan Taliban. There is a BBC News programme on Pakistan's duplicity. They even arrested an Afghan Taliban leader who was negotiating with NATO. (You will make peace on our terms)

[BOS2BKK]

Drones are a good thing.

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

[GentlemanJim]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

+1

[Ulysses G.]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Wallaby]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

'Suspected' cowardly terrorist leaders.

And many many more innocents.

[Ulysses G.]

Nothing "suspected" about Senior Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki and there have been plenty more.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Steely Dan]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

And without risking ground troops to achieve the same objective.

[GentlemanJim]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

And without risking ground troops to achieve the same objective.

Now Steely is much closer to a sensible answer. Ulysees, the drones don't kill anybody, the operators of the drones do though.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed as well as a post using unusually large font.

[BOS2BKK]

I have travelled in Pakistan for two and a half months. There you can see heavily armed men on the streets almost everywhere as a matter of course. Those are mostly Pashtuns, members of the free tribes of Pakistan, not terrorists.

When the US drone operators see those they automatically think "terrorists" and kill them, often along with their families.

I highly doubt the drone operators are looking for just anyone with a gun. Like you say, almost everywhere someone is carrying one so that would be a poor requirement for targeting. Now, if you are an innocent local carrying a AK-47 and happen to be close to where someone is shooting at Coalition forces and are spotted, you'll probably be a target. But anywhere in the world if one human with a gun is being shot at and he sees another human with a gun in the same direction as where the bullets are coming, he's probably going to shoot back first and ask questions later. Just in this case the return fire is not a bullet, it's a missile. All the more reason for the people on the ground to be more careful where they flaunt their weapons. Not like drone strikes are something new.

Well be thankful. If it wasn't for Messers Assange and Manning we would never have seen the Apache shoot up a bunch of journalists and their children (the kids were not collateral damage, they were seen getting in the van), non of whom were carrying weapons nor were they near anybody carrying weapons. In fact the only thing carrying weapons in the vicinity was an .......Apache!

If you think the drone operators take time to distinguish between a gun carrying local tribesman and a member of the Taliban you are dreaming.

As Flying pointed out several times in earlier posts, the targeting is usually done by agents using sources on the ground. The quality of this work will vary greatly and errors will be made. The quality of the source and the quality of the agent who handles him as well as many other variables which really are difficult to control have everything to do with the operation.

Air Force pilots are being trained to operate the drones. The intelligence comes from a source on the ground and passed to the drone control by a Civilian CIA handler. The handler does not exist officially so how to you manage accountabilty with this ugly scenario?

Yes, we should just go back to the practice of carpet bombing major population centers. It is much easier than targeted precision strikes that minimize unintended casualties, albeit occossionally making a mistake.

[maiphedmaiaroi]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly? I dont see obama or previously bush and his cronies out on the battle field. or is that who you mean when you say cowardly terrorists?

I guess the "terrorist" leaders have there own drones. "suicide" bombers.

Now lets talk normal.................

Drones are cowardly weapons. Something un manned thing smashing into a place they "suspect" a "suspected" "terrorist" is. Who cares about the innocent people that might be around the " suspected" "terrorist"

Edited January 24, 2012 by maiphedmaiaroi

[BOS2BKK]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

Because they allow us to target the enemy without endangering the lives of good Americans. Why would you trade a multi-million dollar pilot for an illiterate goat herder? Let them get a Griffin shoved up there man love chute and ride it straight to where they belong.

[BOS2BKK]

They kill cowardly terrorist leaders that would be imposssible to get rid of otherwise.

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly? I dont see obama or previously bush and his cronies out on the battle field.

I guess the "terrorist" leaders have there own drones. "suicide" bombers.

Now lets talk normal.................

Drones are cowardly weapons. Something un manned thing smashing into a place they "suspect" a "suspected" "terrorist" is. Who cares about the innocent people that might be around the " suspected" "terrorist"

Yes, nothing says Macho like holding a box cutter to the throat of a Female flight attendant and flying the hijacked plane into an office building. I agree. We are wasting the drone strikes. A B52 with half a dozen Nukes would solve the problem in a much less cowardly way. Decisive action for a dedicated enemy.

[Ulysses G.]

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly?

Because these evil creeps trick women, children and the mentally challanged into killing innocent civilians and themselves while they hide out and look for more recruits to kill even more innocents. The drones will eventually kill them all and convince their want-to-be replacements that they are going to die too and they will not be so hot on being terrorists any more.

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Yes, we should just go back to the practice of carpet bombing major population centers. It is much easier than targeted precision strikes that minimize unintended casualties, albeit occossionally making a mistake.

Carpet bombs or just send a atom bomb over? Its been done in the past hasnt it.

Leave some of that nasty depleted uranium around too just for the hell of it.

Who cares huh?

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly?

Because these evil creeps trick women, and the mentally challanged into killing innocent civilians and themselves while they hide out and look for more recruits to kill even more innocents.

Hahaha i agree whilst they are sitting in the cosey offices in the whitehouse or pentagon.

Military men are “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.

Henry Kissinger,

National Security Advisor to Nixon, 1973.

[BOS2BKK]

Yes, we should just go back to the practice of carpet bombing major population centers. It is much easier than targeted precision strikes that minimize unintended casualties, albeit occossionally making a mistake.

Carpet bombs or just send a atom bomb over? Its been done in the past hasnt it.

Leave some of that nasty depleted uranium around too just for the hell of it.

Who cares huh?

Ghandi said "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" I could not agree more, an eye for an eye is foolish. I say an eye for a dozen lives leaves a one eye'd man who nobody f@@ks with.

[Steely Dan]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

Because they allow us to target the enemy without endangering the lives of good Americans. Why would you trade a multi-million dollar pilot for an illiterate goat herder? Let them get a Griffin shoved up there man love chute and ride it straight to where they belong.

Illiterate goat herder, or indeed goat.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/bored-predator-drone-pumps-a-few-rounds-into-mount,10159/

[BOS2BKK]

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly?

Because these evil creeps trick women, and the mentally challanged into killing innocent civilians and themselves while they hide out and look for more recruits to kill even more innocents.

Hahaha i agree whilst they are sitting in the cosey offices in the whitehouse or pentagon.

Military men are “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.

Henry Kissinger,

National Security Advisor to Nixon, 1973.

It's awesome that you are quoting a member of one of the most Hawkish White Houses in history to condemn warfare...

[GentlemanJim]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

Because they allow us to target the enemy without endangering the lives of good Americans. Why would you trade a multi-million dollar pilot for an illiterate goat herder? Let them get a Griffin shoved up there man love chute and ride it straight to where they belong.

But I thought the Pilots would be attacking Terrorist leaders, why are we exchanging them for illiterate goat herders? By the way is one innocent life worth less than another?

The B-shift is on. Time for bed.

[GentlemanJim]

Yes, we should just go back to the practice of carpet bombing major population centers. It is much easier than targeted precision strikes that minimize unintended casualties, albeit occossionally making a mistake.

Carpet bombs or just send a atom bomb over? Its been done in the past hasnt it.

Leave some of that nasty depleted uranium around too just for the hell of it.

Who cares huh?

Ghandi said "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" I could not agree more, an eye for an eye is foolish. I say an eye for a dozen lives leaves a one eye'd man who nobody f@@ks with.

You are so well ard BOS2BKK are you sure you are not SAS but you can't tell us because of the official secrets act?

Edited January 24, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Why are the "terrorist" leaders cowardly?

Because these evil creeps trick women, and the mentally challanged into killing innocent civilians and themselves while they hide out and look for more recruits to kill even more innocents.

Hahaha i agree whilst they are sitting in the cosey offices in the whitehouse or pentagon.

Military men are “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.

Henry Kissinger,

National Security Advisor to Nixon, 1973.

It's awesome that you are quoting a member of one of the most Hawkish White Houses in history to condemn warfare...

Your as bad as the "suspected" terrorists your talking about from the things you have posted. .

Shameful and very ignorant.

Keep sleeping zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[BOS2BKK]

Drones are a good thing.

Why are drones a good thing?

Because they allow us to target the enemy without endangering the lives of good Americans. Why would you trade a multi-million dollar pilot for an illiterate goat herder? Let them get a Griffin shoved up there man love chute and ride it straight to where they belong.

But I thought the Pilots would be attacking Terrorist leaders, why are we exchanging them for illiterate goat herders? By the way is one innocent life worth less than another?

The B-shift is on. Time for bed.

Yes, I beleive the current exchange rate is 24 Pakistani Border guards for annoying one US Special Forces patrol. The goat herders are tough. It's like trying to convert Nigerian money. You need scientific notation to cut down the zeros

As for taking out the leaders, we keep trying but they refuse to hold up the big orange marker signs like we asked them too.

Edited January 24, 2012 by BOS2BKK

[BOS2BKK]

Yes, we should just go back to the practice of carpet bombing major population centers. It is much easier than targeted precision strikes that minimize unintended casualties, albeit occossionally making a mistake.

Carpet bombs or just send a atom bomb over? Its been done in the past hasnt it.

Leave some of that nasty depleted uranium around too just for the hell of it.

Who cares huh?

Ghandi said "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" I could not agree more, an eye for an eye is foolish. I say an eye for a dozen lives leaves a one eye'd man who nobody f@@ks with.

You are so well ard BOS2BKK are you sure you are not SAS but you can't tell us because of the official secrets act?

No but I stayed at a Holiday Inn express last night.

[GentlemanJim]

Carpet bombs or just send a atom bomb over? Its been done in the past hasnt it.

Leave some of that nasty depleted uranium around too just for the hell of it.

Who cares huh?

Ghandi said "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" I could not agree more, an eye for an eye is foolish. I say an eye for a dozen lives leaves a one eye'd man who nobody f@@ks with.

You are so well ard BOS2BKK are you sure you are not SAS but you can't tell us because of the official secrets act?

No but I stayed at a Holiday Inn express last night.

Thanks, that helps explain so much.

[Wallaby]

Yes, I beleive the current exchange rate is 24 Pakistani Border guards for annoying one US Special Forces patrol. The goat herders are tough. It's like trying to convert Nigerian money. You need scientific notation to cut down the zeros

As for taking out the leaders, we keep trying but they refuse to hold up the big orange marker signs like we asked them too.

But surely they do, that's why the drones are so succesful isn't it? Otherwise they would just be killing suspects and innocents with the occasional lucky hit........oh wait....