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Drone attacks are wrong. I’m sure to be called an appeaser of terrorists for saying that, particularly in light of the latest events in Mumbai. But I think it’s important for Pakistanis, who are on the receiving end of the humiliation and much worse that drone attacks inflict, to hear an American say it. Hopefully some Americans will read this, too. First and foremost, whatever the official pablum or even the truth about “suspected militants” or “alleged al Qaeda leaders,” innocent civilians are being killed.
Sometimes it’s important to start from first principles, and I think one of those is that it’s wrong to terrorise women and children with unmanned aircraft piloted remotely from the other side of the planet. In the dark calculations of a flawed political world, even something that’s clearly wrong can be justified, if not truly justifiable, if it has good results. The philosophical school that makes such arguments is called utilitarianism, and its adherents – such as, I suppose, the Obama administration – could say drone attacks are necessary because they somehow protect Americans. That argument is marketable to the US public, precisely because it’s vague and plays on people’s fears and ignorance. And, from a Machiavellian point of view, it has the merit of being unfalsifiable: If terrorist attacks don’t happen in America, the US administration can say that’s because of drone attacks in Pakistan.
But meanwhile, actual, non-hypothetical life in Waziristan and beyond is being severely disrupted. When we hear about drone attacks at all in the American media – which we often don’t – it’s usually either asserted or simply assumed that they’re necessary and having the right results. The experts assured us that we were winning in Vietnam, too. I wish we would stop taking their word for it. One US military officer in Vietnam said something that became infamous as a symbol for that entire doomed war effort: “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.” Is that what America is doing all over again in Waziristan?
I don’t know, because I haven’t been there. But when I traveled in Pakistan in 2009 for my book Overtaken By Events, I made a point of seeking out people who had lived there or in Dera Ismail Khan, a city that has become all too frequent a dateline.
My Pakistani-American friend Dr. Shahnaz Khan urged me to try to go there, but acknowledged that it might not be safe for goras to visit. “It’s a small, sleepy town,” she told me. “People were minding their own business, [didn’t] want to get in any trouble, to the point of being lazy, frankly. Since all this happened, a lot of people have migrated into Dera Ismail Khan. … [The] cantonment is right next to the river, and people used to go out and walk by the river. And now they have bunkers, and it’s very difficult for people from the city to go there. My mother lives there and now, we have friends, and it’s really hard for them even to visit her.” All the displaced people fleeing the drone attacks were disrupting life in Dera, Shahnaz told me. “They don’t have any permanent places to live, and they have a different language, different culture,” she said.
An urbane young businessman I met in Islamabad, Faiysal Ali Khan, echoed Shahnaz. Refugees from the drone attacks, he told me, “have had a huge, huge impact on our culture, our society, our people. All these things got disturbed. They brought in the guns, the narcotics, all the illicit trade. Not that I’m saying that they’re bad or anything. They’re refugees; what are they supposed to do?” I asked him about the loyalties of the general public in Waziristan. “On one side, the drone strikes are happening,” he said. “On the other side, Pakistan Army is also bombing you. Americans also bombing you. International community in Nato, ISAF; they’re also bombing you. Everyone is bombing. They’re bombing, bombing, killing innocent people, everything. Why should we have any feeling towards any of these?”
In Karachi, I met a 15-year-old Waziri refugee. “Most of these drone attacks kill innocent people,” he told me through a translator. “They ask our government to tell the people that all of the people who are killed are foreigners. But that is not the case. Most of them are innocent people. Every person has now become a victim of the US, from these drone attacks. What the US is doing by these drone attacks is creating more problems for themselves, rather than solving problems. Every person now that did not want to carry weapons, now wants to carry a weapon, because his children have died in these US attacks. They’re just making it worse for themselves.”
That was more than two years ago. Have things gotten better since then?
I don’t believe there’s any big conspiracy in the US to disregard voices such as these; it’s just that no one here wants to hear what they’re saying. A few of us are trying to get others to listen. I’m doing what I can, through my writing and public speaking, not only for the sake of suffering Waziris and other Pakistanis, but for the good of my own country. America is damaging not only its soul, but also its already badly compromised national economy. And – notwithstanding any circumstances or excuses – attacking people from afar, at no immediate risk to oneself, is cowardly.
Ethan Casey is the author of Alive and Well in Pakistan and Overtaken By Events: A Pakistan Road Trip. He can be reached at www.facebook.com/ethancaseyfans and www.ethancasey.com
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Please see news item dated: 2 August 2011 from the Dawn newspaper. Incidents like these justify the usage of Drones or whatever else is available to our Government:
"DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected US missile strike has killed four alleged militants near the Afghan border.
The officials say the missiles fired from an unmanned drone hit a car Tuesday in Kutab Khel village near Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal area. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The officials say the area has a mix of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban fighters, as well as other foreign militants."
The biggest problem perhaps is the mystery surrounding these drone attacks, as both governments have not come clean on the subject. This has resulted in grievance especially in the Pakistani public.
Okhlahoma bomber, Timothy McVeigh, when asked about the killing of innocent kids in the incident , remarked in his military tongue …" it was only a collateral damage .." . Probably, the US military may be seeing the loss of life to the commoner as 'collateral damage' .
TTP has killed 35000 innocent civilians while Civilian casualties from drone strikes do not even come close to that figure. Moreover, drones have been very effective in wiping out mid-high level TTP leadership and certainly cause less collateral damage than ground military operations (which often just raze villages and small towns). Your argument is academic at best, but ask those who have lost loved ones when markets, mosques, girls schools, shrines, govt buildings etc have been bombed by terrorists and they'll tell you that they fully support drone strikes. Read any book on TTP and you'll know that drones have been effective at wiping out various Taliban leaders.
The Pakistan Army has to take ownership of these strikes and come out to the public and acknowledge their effectiveness at wiping out TTP and all the anti-Drone hooplah will disappear. Pakistan's main enemies lurk in the mountains of FATA, and there is no better way to target them than drones.
Everybody knows who is creating havoc in Pakistan and which countries are supporting TTP and other militants.
I am 100% agree with you CASEY..!!! Drone Attacks are said to be Inhuman and Wild act…….., Innocent lives are changed into ashes, In fact poor people are suffered due to these attacks.
Dear Casey,
I sincerely appreciate your concerns, I believe Americans claimed that Iraq possesses WMD, but to me, actually humans are weapons of mass destruction, this is happening since man stepped on this earth, and believe me this will continue happening, and the only remedy is each individual try to behave like humans and fix its own affairs. Peace is beyond imagination and the only period we will see peace when ultimately Isa A. S. (Jesus0 rule the earth for 40 years. May Allah bless us all more ameen.
This is a very complex subject. Drone attacks sadly do have collateral damage but as much or less than any other military operation. Pakistan has a clear right to protest drone attacks on their soil by a foreign force. US has a right to ensure that cross border terrorism from Pakistan is contained by all the legitimate means that they possess. Terrorism is a scourge on the whole of earth. I think the balance in this war is tilted against the civilized world. Asking the civilized world not to use technolgy such as drones in their fight against terrorism would tilt the scale more in favour of the terrorists. I think the international community as a whole should decide on whether use of drones to target terrorists is permissible, keeping in mind any consequential loss of innocent lives. Anyway terming drone attacks as cowardly is absurd.
Only an independent State can face another independent State. Pakistan is not an independent state and hence we see the ramifications. Pakistani Govt are not freed to make decisions because they are lacky of the Western-powers. Until and unless Islam is establish as an political system in Pakistan, the Western-power will keep pulling the strings to weaken/destryoy us just they did to other Muslim countries. Its high time for us to stop procastinating and start working towards an Islamic agenda!!!
If Pakistan keeps sending terrorists to other countries. Other countries have every right to hunt down the terrorists since Pak army will not clamp down on the terrorists. This situation will end only if Pak army is dismantled and resources are used for the welfare of common Pakistanis.
Did your country do the same? dismantling its army and diverting resources for welfare of its people?
Sir
Very understandable article from Pakistan view point. But why of all the reasons Pakistan is bearing with this humiliation? Why it does not shot down these drones? I know that PAF must have the capacity to do this. But I believe, it is not being done as there seems to be an unwritten understanding to this between Pakistan and USA. If that was not so, Pakistan being such a proud nation would not have allowed it to happen. The underlying compulsions for allowing these drone attacks are equally understandable. But sooner than later, hopefully, this chapter would end soon.
BNA
If drone is coward…
I would consider all modern arms – guns, fighter planes, tanks etc… coward as welll – compared to fighting with sword… or even better – fist fight….
Drone attacks kill annocent people……check
Drone attacks often kill terrorists too……..
Check
Terrorist use Wazirirstan and surrounding areas to launch attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan….
Check
We have two choices to make either we solve our problem or let the Americans do it their way. Any comments.
Drone attacks are not wrong and cowardly but right and strategic. Why expose American lives to the needless danger to save Pakistan from homegrown terrorists when a drone can do the same job.
Drone attacks are wrong and cowardly, but are they any worse than the jihadi/fidayeen missions?
Love your comment.
"Sometimes it’s important to start from first principles, and I think one of those is that it’s wrong to terrorise women and children with unmanned aircraft piloted remotely from the other side of the planet".
Perhaps I need to point out that this statement applies equally to planes crashing into the World Trade Center and drone attacks. May I remind the writer of an old adage…if you sow the wind you reap the whirlwind. The situation we see today was set in motion by terrorists. A minority in this region has supported, funded and given succour to these terrorists. They have sowed the wind and now lament the fact that the whirlwind it has produced tears down their homes and lives. I sympathize with the innocents who suffer as a result whether in the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan or China. The situation can change if this silent suffering minority stands up for what is right, terrrism in any shape or form cannot be condoned.
The author lacks knowledge, information and total picture. The drones are not required if ISI and Pakistan act on their own and destroy the terrorist infrastructures. ISI and Pakistan are just interested in free US money and do not wish to act to destroy the militants in their backyards. Just double games will not help everytime. World has come to understand this.
ISI and the US are same. They play Hide And Seek in the same interest. The key is very simple: money … money and money.
Remember the Sovyet-Afghanistan war era? The Mujahideen are their children … but now become bad boy (in post 9/11 fabrication interest)
The drone attacks on areas which are also inhabited by civilians are violation of human rights and are condemn-able. Ordinary civilian is not in a position to shoo away terrorist living in his neighborhood and their condition is no different from that of a hostage who has to live with such gun toting neighbors. With limited resources or for other reasons, they may not be in a position t leave their homes. America is behaving like a police havaldar (lowest official in police) who gets satisfaction in wielding danda/soti/ baton totally unconcerned who gets the hit . But, one gets a strong feeling that Pakistan government and army is a willing and tacit partner of these atrocities. Why blame America if government of Pakistan is not putting its foot down.
Drones, a marvel of modern technology, are perhaps the most humane military weapon of all time (as opposed to law-enforcement weapon, which it is not). The amount of care/discussion/approvals that go into every drone strike are remarkable; its precision is without parallel; its strike/terrorist-kill ratio second to none.
It is true that "innocents" also get killed, but these are justifiable killings in a war-time scenario. Drones have the lowest strike/innocent-killed ratio of all military weapons in the world. Drones are doing a great job and hopefully these strikes continue to bear fruit and rid this country of the pestilence that infects it.
The same people when do suicide attacks on india and kill innocent civilians that not cowardly??? If people like AJmal kasab have guts why don't they face indian army or go to afghan to fight US. They should be droned, but at the same time innocent people must not be killed. But the sad irony is people who motivate terrorism, hide behind their wives when confronted with actual soldier. Eg Osama.
@AAJ, no Afghan,Pakistani,Indian or Iranian was involved in 9/11, so Americans and you can't justify their drone attacks on Pakistani soil.you are ill informed, by the way Iraqis had nothing to do with 9/11 either but yet the Americans and their allies destroyed that country and killed thousands of Iraqis.
"America is damaging its soul…"
America has no soul.
How to these terrorists gain sanctuary in your villages?Are they their friends or kin?If they gain entry by force dont your village headmen have a mobile phone to contact the army?You cannot accomodate them based on the fact that they are freedom fighters.Freedom fighters do not kill innocent people.They murder people.Look at the behavior of the tabilan.17 of your policemen were shot dead.Your people who shelter these killers cannot complain when the drones come to blow you up.
A soulful piece in a soulless subject – the drones! How flawed is the logic "to end violence, we need More violence!"
A soulful piece on* a soulless subject – the drones! How flawed is the logic that “to end violence, we need More violence!”
Just as Drone attacks are wrong and cowardly because it kills innocent people indiscriminately, the same holds true for terrorist attacks / suicide bombing, which are also a cowardly killing innocent men, women and children. I'm an Indian and I sympathise with innocent people killed whether they are in Pakistan or in India.
Drones – The commentators have added more value than the blogger.
The Blogger – The whole discussion has been side-tracked. He just wanted to sell his book.
No, you're wrong in both assertions. The issue is not whether drones are precise or not. The issue is the moral justification of such a strategy. Besides, you don't win hearts and minds by behaving like this and then loudly proclaiming how much "aid" you are dishing out to the country. Money can never win hearts and minds; simple decency does every time, as in the case of Mr. Casey.
@ NAVEED –
Morality – Morality has always been, is, will be, should be determined in the light of the situation, the circumstances and the motive. However, it is always immoral to AIM to kill innocents. Drones don't target to kill innocents. Terrorists target to kill innocents. It is moral to kill in self-defense and to save another innocent person.
Terrorism – When terrorists living in Pakistan kill Pakistanis, it is Pakistan's internal issue, and no country has a right to interfere. If terrorists living in Pakistan attack the Rest-of-the-World, and Pakistan is unwilling or incompetent to stop the terrorists, it is problem of the Rest-of- the-World. It is moral for the Rest-of-the-World to target those terrorist in self-defense.
Pakistanis' hearts & Minds – As is the case with North Korea and Burma, the Rest-of-the-World has no interest in winning the hearts and minds of Pakistanis. It is up to us to choose our friend and foes; what we choose today will determine what kind of future will we have. just as our present today is the result of choices we made in the past.
It is all too apparent that what will happen on the streets of Pakistan if armed forces in Israel or India killed 20 Muslims. But where are those PAK Muslims when, as reported by today's Dawn, China armed forces have killed 20 Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.
Very well written by an American, eye opener for all Pakistani who are supporting drone attacks blindly !!!! Pakistan needs this type of support from intelligent authors.
Question is why Pakistani Government is pressuring US to sell drone to it? Why have President and The PM of Pakistan have openly and aggressively isuuing statement that US should sell drones to them so they can use this ?
RJX – the root cause is our leaders ! I wish we could have sincere leadership. It is crocodile tears to show all Pakistanis that we are against drone attacks – actully it is happening with the support of Govt. of Pakistan. please help Pakistan to get rid of insincere leadership. !!!! May Allah protect every innocent person on this earth.
Lets assume for a moment that the facts mentioned by the author are correct. In such a case the question on drones should have been directed at the Pakistani establishment.
The US is using the drones in their perceived self-interest. But why is the Pakistani govt & army supporting the drone strikes which maybe killing innocent people – their own. Not covering this point will be like glossing over inconvenient facts & playing to the galleries.
who says pakistan army and govt is supporting drones.. army has repeatedly condemned it and even once offered to shot down drones if govt agrees….. and pakistan's national assembly as well as all four provincial assemblies have passed resolutions against drones… then how do you say they are supporting drones
Boy, you really do live in some fantasy land. Do you ever leave your computer? Your president et al have said openly now – that they will publicly condemn the drone attacks but privately support the US carrying out such attacks. It appers that the govt and the establishment of Pak's lies have done their job. You and others obviouly fall for it.
Riz,
Why does not our govt agree with the army in this case? I can never understand that. We don't need the Americans to do what we want done. You must answer this if you want me to believe your views.
US are being allowing willfully by our Generals as well as as Present regime. We are being bombard by lies and misleading condemnation. Pakistan is Become a Hub of US killing game. We are as a nation is being brutally being used, either someone like it or not.
Not a single Indian supported the author's version, almost all of them are in the favour of drone attack on Pakistan, they are aware of that the process is producing the terrorists. In both the cases Pakistan is the victim.
Pakistani politician are bee fooling people of pakistan. In open they criticize USA for drone attack but support internally to these attacks. How can it is possible with out the permission of Pakistani authority they do such act
so according to you,before 9/11 there was no terrorist in pakistan?
….Were more in India then Pakistan at that time.
The author lacks clarity about gravity of situation in Pakistan and around the world.
On an average, during last one year, atleast one bomb blast per week is taking place in Pakistan. The author does not analyse whether these bomb blasts carried out by terrorist organisations are legitimate ?. The author has also failed to provide a back plan to control terrorism.
Over all, the blog is very average in presentation.
Talk to someone who claims that large civilian casualties occur with drone strikes… then ask him if he has ever seen a drone strike and the precision behind it. Most likely they will say no.
Talk to someone who has seen a drone strike and he will say "Yes, there were some 'foreigners' in that house over there… the drone strike happened and they were all killed, but the neighboring house is safe.
Precision.
Then, ask someone who comes from a village where 'clearing' operations have occurred and they will tell you of the disruption to their lives, their crops, their cattle when they had to move. The harassment from the authorities, the disease and filth of refugee camps. And since the clearing operation is announced days in advance and the military is not able to move with the same speed as the Taliban, they are long gone to the next area.
How many headlines have you seen… "Pakistani Army has cleared area of militants… no militants were engaged." If they were not engaged, then the whole operation was a costly waste. They will just wait for you to leave.
But drone strikes make them keep their heads down, fear for their lives and restrict who they talk to and plot with. They know that if they talk too much, justice will rain down on them one day.
Well said!
Mr. Casey concern for innocent victims of drone attacks is perhaps well founded, but he has no solution for a) How to stop cross-border attacks from Pakistan borders into Afghanistan. b) How to ensure militants from Pakistan do not get refuge, resources and training in Waziristan c) How to monitor militant activities there when the US has trouble getting Pakistan to cooperate. Clearly, the US has decided that the drones are a better way to address these problems / issues. Let Mr. Casey take care of the migrant Waziris and talk about them, while the US and Nato forces wrap up the mess in Af-Pak. He can write tomes on how wrong everything is, while the whole world will tackle the issue with whatever means it has – as they need to be tackled today, and not just pontificate like he seems prone to do.
There is no sane justification of Drone Attacks by US in Pakistan or any where else in the world. Its shameful to even think. In this era, can any nation (sane) allow any individuals or country to use its country air space, land and people for their killing in the name of whatever they like. Is this things make any sense. The leadership and the so called defender of the country did ever think what they have been doing by allowing such freedom of killing people in whatever name. This is in-human, barbaric and un-civilized.
'Absolutely right'
According to International Law, if any sovereign state (Pakistan) is unable to prevent individuals (Taliban) from attacking the people of another sovereign state (US, Afghanistan) then there is justification for retaliatory strikes.
if the Pakistani Army is unable to control the NWFP, then Pakistan does NOT exercise sovereignty over that region and has less grounds to protest the drone strikes.
Further, since the Pakistani Army and civilian government have OBVIOUSLY given the US secret permission to carry out strikes, their public condemnation means little.
After all, the Pakistani Army has openly stated, many times, that they want drone technology transfer. Now, where do you think the PA will use those drones? Russia? Obviously they will use them in the NWFP.
When the US bombs people in Pakistan, it is a huge problem… but if the PA bombs them, who will protest?
Not Pakistan Army or any Army are entitled to carry out such Cowardice, pathetic and mad Ariel attacks. If we had any traces of sanity in our people and believe in Law and justice, then we had to deal things by law to bring all the culprits into the fold of justice. This Drone attack is nothing but a pure Execution of people in the name of what ever you may want to think about it.
Pakistan is become a Banana state where huge amount of Country exchequer is being spent on the Security forces, yet this nation had to bear such humiliation in the face of Drone attacks.
those who allow this barbaric act are enjoying the hospitality. And Many more will join him after their tenure in this land of opportunity is over.
Why worry about America "damaging" its soul? America has been doing it long before its birth in 1776. With French gone and England bleeding, the Americans, without drone, started liquidating what is now politely referred to as the "native Indians." Then Americans damaging its soul even more when the Americns fought among each other and cost six hundred thousand lives in the mid-ninteenth century. To this day the American Civil War looms large in the American imagination. Then a fellow American damaged the American soul again by assassinating the war President, Abraham Lincoln.
Though the "Reconstruction" era had begun, the Americans kept damaging their soul by keeping the newly freed slaves at arms length. Then, under Theordore Roosevelt, Americans had more than just an itch to destroy its soul even more. They asked for a war with Spain. All this right at the start of the 20th century. There are more soul destroying historical events as the century progressed, but you got the point. The problem is not with the soul. The problem is with a crushing sense of futility.
Well Salman, NATO troops would be quite happy to get up close and personal with these people so as to separate the folks residing in Pakistan who are going across the border to fight in Afghanistan and the folks who are merely sheltering them and their foreign "guests" from the rest of the population.
However, the craven Pakistani government won't have that as they support, and occasionally, employ various groups of non-uniformed fighters to go and blow up innocents in Afghanistan and other places despite the numerous murders that these folks commit upon the bodies of innocent Pakistanis.
If you want to complain about killing innocents, take it up with the government that hid bin Laden, lied about it endlessly, and then cried tears when we came in and killed that unclean murderous madman.
Thank you so much for bringing this topic up. Everyone (including pakistanis) are claiming that terrorists are being killed, but I cannot be assured that innocents don't loose their lives. A human life is very precious. The west seems to understand this and very strictly follow this for their own citizens. As it is said "killing of one person is like killing of the entire mankind:. I will never support a drone attack in ANY part of the world.
Drone strike works! USA should continue to use and kill those terrorists. The only innocent people die are friends and relatives of those killed terrorist. Pakistan can't control those elements, then someone has to do it.
if drone attacks r cowardly, then r IEDs chivalrous? what is this senseless blabber about?
Al-Qaida wants to attack the makers of Drone technology, what better ratification of the need for Drones ?
Cowardly ? Really ? Where WAS this moron when 09-11 happened ?
The Jihad.. Droned
It is quite refreshing for me that this article is written by an American! I further agree with John comment that whatever US has been doing after 9/11 is totally irresponsible and actually against the basis for which US stands for! History repeats itself and as all large and so calledu unbeatable empires were destroyed and broken into pieces I fear that US might have to face that some day!
My boss moved to US from Pakistan in 1970s and I am so depressed to hear his thoughts on US policies. He is a big supporter of US attacks and completely blind sighted by the worldly pleasures! I just hope that one day I can hear him condemning US aMbitious attacks on Muslim Sovereign countries!
Appreciate the author. Finally a sensible piece on "Drones" issue.
To the Drone apologists: Don't do unto others what you don't want them to do unto you!
I can buy that drone attacks could be wrong. Many nations have fought wars that were whole wrong, but coward? NO. I cant buy that. Killing an enemy with a gun, from distance, while hiding behind a tree, isn't that coward? Killing thousands or hundreds by throwing bombs from an aircraft, or above all…. killing with a missile from hundreds of miles away, where nobody has the faintest idea or an iota of knowledge where their death is coming from and thus has no opportunity or even time to defend themselves … Is that coward or not? How can, then, a drone attack be considered coward?
Drone attacks are NOT wrong as long as they are used by authorized national agencies like Armed Forces and Law Enforcement agencies. Terrorism is taking its toll in the form of innocent lives, property, peace and Law & Order. Our Law Enforcement agencies are fully justified to eradicate terrorism by all means available to them including Drones.
Thank you Ethan for publishing the fact that drone attacks are killing innocent people and are counter productive. They must be stopped before it becomes too late. I would very much appreciate if you could also publish this in some of the mainstream US media to bring this to the attention of US public.
Collateral damage unfortunately is a part of war.that's why it's called "war on terror".If pakistan army is stubborn that it will not go after these terrorists then it is our job to neutralize these hostiles by whatever means necessary,it's their army's fault that innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire.
If the impact of drone attacks had been there was less terrorism, or drastically decreasing terrorism, then the policy is helpful.
We see clearly, the impact is more terrorism, increasing reactions by the terrorists, then how can we say drone attacks have been effective.
Pakistan helped America in taking out the Afghan government after 911.
And, what we see is reaction, a chain reaction to Pakistan siding against their Muslim brothers (Afghan Goverment 2001), joining hands with kuffar, and that is how the tribals (so called Islamist) look at it.
I am being blunt & truthful in order to get the point across.
Tribals think if you support kuffar against your own brother, then you are are also kafir.
Kafir means one who hides the truth, knowingly, it can be a Muslim by name or a non Muslim.
You have to look at it from their angle to understand the root cause.
And, this is the reason they feel no hesitation & guilt in killing Pakistanis.
They consider killing Pakistanis as jehad.
Once drone attacks stop, there will be no tit for tat. Flywhteel will come to rest.
If there were no drones, Baitullah Mehsud would still be plotting mass attacks on Pakistan and and holding press conferences to boast about such attacks.
Drones are effective and need to continue.
Have we achieved peace by killing one terrorist Baitullah Mehsud? Will we achieve peace by killing OBL? Can we kill all terrorists of the world & achieve world peace? NO. Unless you hit the root cause i.e. INJUSTICE, there will never be peace because you can never achieve peace through war.
Ethan Casey is an American who has the courage to speak the truth – US drone attacks are killing few terrorists but many innocent people in Pakistan. Though these pilotless aircraft take off and land from bases in Pakistan, they are remotely flown by pilots half way around the world from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, USA. Pakistanis agree this is an important weapon system required to fight the war on terror, but they disagree with unilateral US actions which kill innocent people and violate sovereignty. To resolve this matter, Pakistan requested Predator drones be given to Pakistan, so the US would not be blamed for any collateral damage. The US has still not given these UAVs to Pakistan, though they were given to some countries, including UAE?
Some old Mi-17 Russian helicopters were given to Pakistan, instead of the 100 or so Black Hawk and Apache helicopters requested, as they are needed for fast deployment of troops in the mountains bordering Afghanistan. These helicopters were given to many countries, including Saudi Arabia?
War on terror is a global war requiring global effort. Instead of asking Pakistan to do more, the US needs to "do more", by giving meaningful military and economic assistance to Pakistan, if this war is to be won. Pakistan as the front-line state fighting this war, has suffered over 35,000 people killed and economic losses of $70 billion, more than any other country in the world.
Well right or wrong drones are reality, terrorist getting killed is a reality and US is doing and will keep doing it is also a reality. We have ourselves given them the reason to strike us and blood of innocents is equally on us just like its on US.
This is so strange! There is a pakistani in the US who is clear eyed enough to say that drone attacks are ok : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raza-habib-raja/the… but in Pakistan there is an American who says drone attacks are bad? It should be that Pakistanis in Pakistan should say "Drone attacks which limit the tyrants and terrorists are ok" and in the US the the Americans should say "Drone attacks are bad" – which many in the US already do say that… We should all criticize our OWN and love the other. We should love even our "enemies" because everyone can love a friend. Americans in Pakistan and Pakistani newspapers however ought not to be denouncing drone attacks because that would be wrong. Pakistanis will say "Even an American said drone attacks are bad" or they may think that the American was being scared into speaking against the US (while in Pakistan). We want Pakistanis who are patriotic and staying in Pakistan and part of the establishment and the masses to support the goodwill efforts of NATO/West/UN.
Not impressed..the American people know exactly whats going on
The bottom line is that when sides fight against each other the outcome is not pretty. If you think less civilians get killed when thousands of soldiers are running around the countryside then go ask somebody from Iraq their opinion on that. I'm sure they would rather have the drones any day then thousands of trigger happy soldiers.
Drones are blessing in disguise. It saved the life of hundreds of American soldiers otherwise would have perished due to Pakistan army’s double game. But Pakistanis are also misusing the drones by giving wrong ground intelligence inputs aimed to kill the ordinary people who oppose atrocities of Pakistan army and its presence in their land.
Bravo!
Really impressed – with the blogger knowledge about social, economical and geo-political issues of Pakistan; with his capacity to convert complex issue in to simplistic solutions! I tried to get his books at couple of shops but in vain!! I assume his books have a huge demand in America!!!
Dear Author of the column. The people who are took refuge are not from North Waziristan but are from South Waziristan. Most of the Drones are done in North Wazirisitan as most of the terrorists are in their safe heavens over there. There is no refuge coming to DI Khan from the drone hit areas. Most of the refugees in D I Khan are from south waziristan where Pakistan military is doing their military operation against the 'Terrorists'. People in N. waziristan are quite happy with the drones as according to them it hits the militants.
ethan, guys like you exist in america? amazed!
Yes they exist in abundance which is something I can't say for Pakistan.
Another drone crashed in Karachi. The Navy is claiming it to be indiginously made drone but 'Surch me' Pakistan has not made any drone yet. This claim is done to shelter the US.
We read such articles every day in Pakistani press. Ethan is absolutely right. What he has written is common knowledge & common sense. Unfortunately we are doing nothing about it as if these people being killed are not human beings.
The U.S. knew Drone Attacks are wrong but they continuing it to keep Islamic Extremism which benefit their interest of Military Industry progress.
They can't stop … Monster never satisfied. They read:WAR mean business.
Humanism … Freedom … Democracy just a mask of Zombie's face. Sometime hiding behind their hypocrisy media.
They don't care the innocent people of pakistani or afghan or even their own children.
Congratulation … We are all deceived.
As an american, I have been ashamed of what the US has been doing not just since 9/11, but from the very first day that US oil wells have been disappearing. Our "national insterests" worldwide means OIL. Oil so we can maintain an unstustainable way of life. Oh yys, and war is indeed big business. We will be attacked again someday. Maybe by drones……
But still you guys (the Americans) re-elected Bush. What all of you are concerned about is your mortgages, night lives etc….
Politically both republicans and democrats are the same establishment. They both in agreement about wars and drone attacks . . . same goal.
This guy is a joke. There is nothing 'cowardly' about drone attacks, just like there is nothing cowardly about sniper fire, air strikes, missile strikes etc. This isn't medieval warfare between knights who have to show their bravery and honor. War is simply about killing the other guy and not letting him kill you. If it is cowardly then the Americans should prove their bravery by charging at a militant with a pocket knife, singing patriotic songs.
Drone strikes kill LESS civilians than artillery, fighter strikes, helicopter strikes etc because the drones stay in the area for a long time before hitting the target, rather than zooming by, seeing an enemy and hoping to kill it with a quick missile or bomb. Hundreds of analysts and lawyers watch each drone and make the decision. And by the way, a 'drone refugee' must be a rare sight indeed. Most people who have never seen a drone strike complain about the many civilian lives lost. This is a falsehood. Even Pakistani news reports show 'foreigners' killed in these strikes. Who are these unknown foreign 'civilians?'
Pakistan needs to give up this charade…
So much hate in your words, how do you live your daily life…. the basic question is about fairness of killing innocents with foreign fighters. No trial, no proof, no war, just drop a 500 Ibs bomb on a home that someone on the ground says houses foreign fighters… the chances of killing innocents is too high.
When AAJ made you stare at the facts …………it does sound hatred to you ………I really don't see any hatred in his comments !! AAJ is ( in a very civilized way ) only stating what the whole world thinks .
What hate? He is just being practical. Drone or manned, the Amreekis are getting their targets, forget the innocents killed. If our army does not know how to clean our house of the pests and keep them (even support and sustain them), we have no right to cry if someone else comes and gets rid of them.
Our Pakistan is reaping what our army sowed in all those years.
everyone ignores the basic fact that none of this would be necessary if the Govt. would enforce the laws & do the dirty work of rounding up the undesirables. so far, ISI & others wink & support them so who is really responsible for the loss of innocent life?
Salman, I do not have hate in my life. I recognize the realities… there IS a war going on. And the safest way to kill terrorists without killing civilians is with drone strikes. Look at the Pakistani Army… huge troop movements resulting in millions of civilians displaced, hundreds of people dying from disease and malnutrition, bad sanitation etc. Is that humane? If refugees die from disease, is it reported as collateral damage? Is a woman who is kidnapped and 'mistreated' by miscreants, because she is forced from the safety of her village reported as collateral damage?
Or is a surgical drone strike the better of the two evils?
Send in the Army, who will come under attack and return fire, with civilians in the crossfire? What about mortars, which are essentially carpet bombing, blind shooting in the sky, hoping to hit the target which is not visible?
Look, drone strikes are AWFUL when they kill civilians. But what is better? Letting the terrorists live, and waiting for the next mosque attack, bazaar bombing, sectarian riots, Naval Base attack?
Pakistanis need to realize that the war is on… like it or not. Your choice is to fight and maybe win or not to fight and definitely lose.
Well written comments, I'm thoroughly impressed. I wannabe friends with you.
Why is it because you say so as an American I am shocked by the fact you are taking your freedom to travel and write id because of the safety provided by USA.There is no more declared uniformed fights u want it is all sort urban guerilla warfare u better recognize that as Americans want to be safe from Terrorist attacks
Blowing up innocent people.. using children and women as shields , beheading innocent people in the name of religion is very heroic….
Why you are not condemning the US to destroying millions of innocent people in the name of anti terrorists campaign?
Uzair , where is your proof of Americans "destroying" millions of people?
Terrorists are the problem in the world right now, they are everywhere and are the cause of more people fleeing their countries than anyone else, terrorists alone have destroyed Millions of peoples lives. I don't see people running away after terrorists have been killed I see them trying to go on with their lives.
Mr. Innocent! Remember the 'carpet bombing' on Afghanistan and Iraq, on Vietnam may be beyond your memories, only in Afghanistan about 2.5 ~ 3 million people were killed.
"only in afghanistan about 2.5 – 3 million people were killed" please give a reference to support that number, since you are saying that one out of every ten afghans was killed by "carpet bombing"
Uzair & Tajammal,
Carpet bombing in Iraq and Afganistan?? It never happened. There were never more than 5 or 6 bombers over either country at any one time. It's not possible to carpet bomb with so few planes. Precision munitions make carpet bombing wasteful and unnecessary, so it is not used. We just don't see 2000 planes in the air at once for a single attack like we did in WW2. While there may be some non-combatants killed in some of the bombings, most are actively helping the targets of the bombs (terrorists), so are they really innocent? Their guilt is debatable to say the least. Do they number in the hundreds–certainly–in the thousands–maybe—millions–no way!……….Over 90% of those killed in Iraq were killed by other Iraqis, the same can be said for Afghanistan. The U.S should not be blamed simply because it attempted to help the Iraqi people attain freedom from Saddam Hussein's tyranical rule. Iraq's "civil war", which occurred after Th U.S considered all major fighting to be over, was the result of multiple different groups in Iraq jockeying for positions to be in line to rule Iraq after Saddam. Even now it is an uneasy truce amongst the different groups.
I think you are the blind supporter of US! Please remember the fictitious attack on Iraq for nukes, on Vietnam to prevent from communist terror and finally on Afghanistan, which more then millions.
Patt, is america not terrorising almost the entire world?
Hmm, the republican govt's attacks on Vietnam and Iraq may be unjustified, but the Obama govt's tactics in the AfPak region is seen by most people to be justified.
Interesting choices – being killed by senseless attacks or suicide bombers sent by militants or being killed by US drones sent to kill militants.
@Uzair,
Did you see the Carpet bombing in Iraq. Who told you that 2.5 to 3 million people died in Afghanistan(after 9/11). Where goes that sympathy when everyday sucide bombers kill hundreds of people. you tell me what should be the respose of a country who were attacked by some one hiding in some other country? wait for next attack. America may be wrong in attacking Iraq but for Afghanistan it is right as people of Afghanistan have got rid of their barbaric rulers Taliban.
To avoid the Drone first Pak should clean their house. people in other countries should not be attacked by terrorist sitting in Pakistan. If that happens there wont be any reason for drone attacks
Dear Patt; Please do not forget Hiroshima nad Nagasaki and …. as well, there is plenty of proof.
I think Casey misses a basic point – attacks on innocent civilians are wrong whether by manned or unmanned flights. The problem is very complex as all humankind's acts of war have harmed the innocents more than the actual soldiers or their backers in the form of army officers or politicians.
Very True Mr. Kannan
Nice take on promoting the sale of your book.
Is there anything wrong with that?
Awesome. I know Americans have a lot of good people like you, but lately I have been dissapointed by comments even on left-winged, liberal newspapers like NYT on this issue.
I do hope that people like you prevail for the US to maintain its moral and (I believe it follows directly) actual superiority in the world.
The NYT has repeatedly withheld information and knowingly misreported facts. Any hope for objectivity or credibility is placed in that publication at one's own risk.