Suspected US Missile Strikes Hit Pakistan
Originally published on GroundReport.com, the citizen journalism platform that covers world news from the ground.
PESHAWAR-- At least 18 people were killed in a suspected American missile attack in the North Waziristan agency of Pakistan on Friday.
It was believed to be the first attack that took place since President Barack Obama took office. Pakistani officials had previously expressed hope that once Obama became president he would stop the attacks.
According to local officials, at least three missiles targeted a house in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, killing over ten people, including Arab nationals, and wounding many more.
Officials said that at least four Arab al-Qaeda operatives were among the dead.
There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan, but high officials, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, have repeatedly condemned the drone attacks and warned about their negative effects.
The latest attack came after Pakistani security officials, in a joint raid with the Central Intelligence Agency, arrested a Saudi-born al-Qaeda operative, Zabih al-Taifi, near Peshawar late Wednesday.
Go to GroundReport.com for more coverage from Pakistan. GroundReport is a citizen journalism platform that allows anyone to publish global news and earn money.
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Billions of dollars have gone to Pakistan to aid in the destruction of Al Queda and nothing. Nothing done but fraudulantly taking money with an empty promise. Good gracious people, Bush wanted military bases in Iraq for 50 more years, McCain also. This way, with majority supporting Obama around the World, he will act, unlike Republicans who create jobs with contracts instead of going after those responsible for Terror attacks. This nonsense must end. Obama finally, a man with integrity and 'strength', can dig us out of the economic and terrorist hole the Republicans have left the country.
Pakistan must realize, it's leadership is fragile, insecure and needs support of other nations to overcome al Queda threats and nuclear arsenal security to succeed.
@raaf
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BBC reports that one of the "terrorists" killed was a 5 year old child. Obama needs to stop this war BS right now, or he'll go into the history books as yet another war criminal.
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How many Presidents will it take doing the exact same things before you at least CONSIDER the possibility that THEY are right and YOU are wrong??
Just curious...
Michale....
Lyndon Johnson had his Presidency destroyed by trying to look tough against Communism in Vietnam.Thousands of Vietnamese would be alive today if we had allowed them to sort out their own business and govern their own country. Obama will make the same mistake in Afganistan while the Military/Industrial complex laughs all the way to the bank. We can stop terrorism at our borders by paying more attention which would have prevented 911 as we all know.
Being soft on terrorism invites attacks on our country. Obama made it clear that he will reach out to those who want peace, but will not tolerate those seeking to destroy Americans. He is under fire for closing GITMO by many of our citizens as a future threat to our security. It would be foolish to let terrorist think he is a push over.
It is wishful thinking to believe there are always GOOD verses BAD choices. Sometimes there are nothing but bad choices left once a situation has eroded beyond quick and easy repair. This is what Obama has inherited from the past administration and terrorist persistence. His only choice now is to follow a course of choosing the better of the worst - that is the painful part that any president shoulders.
Although Bin Laden is of course an objective, I believe that the real concern here is the Pakistani nuclear arsenal, and specifically keeping India from invading Pakistan to secure it (as an excuse?). This could lead to very quick and hot escalation in the region, maybe even with China becoming involved. So the high wire act is to: (a) keep the nukes out of the hands of Al Qaeda; (b) keep India from invading Pakistan and starting up a hot, perhaps nuclear, escalation; and (c) finding and securing Bin Laden. Pretty tall order.
Nuclear armed nations don't get invaded. That's why Israel has nuclear weapons. I question that "been Forgotten" is the target, more likely militants who threaten the West's control over Afghanistan's pipelines. Follow the money and the pipelines.
BBC reports that one of the "terrorists" killed was a 5 year old child. Obama needs to stop this war BS right now, or he'll go into the history books as yet another war criminal.
Very sad.
I'm disappointed in Obama. I read a report that said 3 children were killed.
the problem is that neither side can be trusted to tell us the truth.
but yes, obama should stop this. unfortunately he made a lot of noise before the election that implied he wouldn't stop it, but ramp it up.
he's still a better president than bush, but i wasn't looking forward to this part of it. all this sabre-rattling will do is create more terrorists.
That is very sad and unfortunate. War is an ugly thing, and these are the types of things that happen in a war. I don't think that Obama is going to "stop this war BS" over one death of a child. Once the gears of war start moving, events become chaotic and uncontrollable. I think that's why it is so important to take the decision to go to war so seriously.
Mankind as a whole is an insidious virus. It is hard to believe that we were created in gods image.
Maybe because we weren't?
mankind created god in its own image.
i can't imagine a god worth of worship who'd be as petty and cruel otherwise.
If Osama Bin Laden were still alive, you'd have caught him by now.
All you're doing is creating more enemies.
And yes you're killing civilians too.
U.S. Soldiers are not civilians...now what ?
It's time to go after the people that actually attacked us. If the people of the region won't tell us where Ben laden is, then their silence means they approve of what he did. Give us Ben Laden and the bombing will stop. There's no way a six foot five man can hide for seven years without local help. You wanna hide the man that attacked us,there WILL be blood. All of you people who complain about this,you must support George Bush ignoring Ben laden for SEVEN years! I don't care what type of terrain there is,you can't hide for seven years without help. If the Pakistani government doesn't have the manpower or the guts to go in there and get him (Ben laden is not a Pakistani citizen,he's a Saudi) I'm praying Obama does so we can bring our men and women home. This has dragged on for too long, and we should have invaded the territories when we had Musharraf in our pocket. I can't believe there are people posting here who think going after Ben Laden and Al Qaeda WHEREVER they are is wrong! Were you here on 9/11/01?
By your logic, since the people of Florida didn't tell us about Mohammed Atta, then we should carpet bomb Florida.
When can you start?
It's OK because when we wipe out their kids and their grandmas, we offer them compensation.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/18/world/fg-apology18
sounds fair, better than they ever got from Al Qaeda, Taliban or the Soviets.
It's OK because when we k!ll their kids and their grandmas, we offer them compensation.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/18/world/fg-apology18
One can argue whether military action is the right way to fight terrorists. However, since we were attacked by al Qaeda, attacking them is perfectly justified. It is also perfectly justified to attack them in another country, if that country would refuse or is unable to attack them.
We should wait till we get reliable account of what happened. If indeed innocent civilians were killed, it could mean inaccurate intelligence. Then Obama must insist on more accurate intelligence or find other ways to attack al Qaeda.
Furthermore, Obama must simultaneously start diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan, including economic aid to rebuild the country. Without that, such military actions would be useless.
.
Perhaps one will get obl.
anyway. I've decided to let this go. I guess I should be glad there are few mortalities. Bastard.
ok, I found an article where he talks about this here.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/637/
So, I guess not only is his policy on Afghan an exception to his rule of diplomacy first, but so is Pakistan. Well, even if I knew this during the election, I'd still say "then when DOES diplomacy come first?". He's just striking countries without trying to talk first, which was a MAJOR promise he made. Or at least even making sure that there are no civilians in the area he's hitting.
Pakistan is a cesspool.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/911timeline/main/saeedsheikh.html
Doesn't give you any rights to bomb people defending themselves against invasion.
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/02/10/post_3.php
"If Pakistan cannot or will not take out these high-level terrorist targets and we have actionable intelligence about where they are, then I would take action to protect the American people"
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