U.S. drone kills at least 12 in northwestern Pakistan

[News_Editor]

U.S. drone kills at least 12 in northwestern Pakistan

2012-03-11 07:28:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

MIRANSHAH, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least twelve people were killed on Friday in the latest U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's volatile tribal region, local media reported on Saturday.

The unmanned aircraft targeted and completely destroyed a vehicle and a house in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan, near the Afghan border. Two missile strikes were reportedly launched from the U.S. drone, killing at least twelve suspected militants, although the number of deaths could rise.

Few details about casualties from the strikes are usually available, but allegations of civilian casualties regularly spark protests in Pakistan. According to the Washington-based think tank New America Foundation, as many as 2,680 individuals were killed as a result of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan between 2004 and early 2012.

And according to a report released by the Conflict Monitoring Center in January, at least 609 people were killed as a result of 75 drone strikes in Pakistan in 2011 alone. The group has documented 303 drone strikes since 2004, with a total death toll of at least 2,661.

In January, U.S. President Barack Obama, for the first time during his presidency, publicly acknowledged that U.S. drones regularly strike suspected militants along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He confirmed that many of these strikes are carried out in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects in tough terrain.

The U.S. considers the Pakistan-Afghan border to be the most dangerous place on Earth. The area is known to be a stronghold of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, which is one of the top terrorist organizations and threats to U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.

But controversy has surrounded the drone strikes as local residents and officials have blamed them for killing innocent civilians and motivating young men to join the Taliban. Details about the alleged militants are usually not provided, and the U.S. government does not comment on the strikes.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-03-11

[maidu]

If there are no Pakistani public outcries against the strike, then we can be rather sure that it did not harm civilians.

[Colin Yai]

I often wonder, in comparison, who has killed more Civilians, the Taliban by design or the US Drones by accident ?,

[Colin Yai]

I would have thought by now I would have had a few reply's from the Anti US left wing brigade to the simple question in my post#3 ,alas for some to write the truth may cause acute embarrassment ,so apology,s on my behalf for asking the question in the first place

Edited March 11, 2012 by Colin Yai