Obama victory infuriates Pakistani drone victims
File photo
ISLAMABAD: The roars celebrating the re-election of US President Barack Obama on television give Mohammad Rehman Khan a searing headache, as years of grief and anger come rushing back.
The 28-year-old Pakistani accuses the president of robbing him of his father, three brothers and a nephew, all killed in a US drone attack a month after Obama first took office.
“The same person who attacked my home has gotten re-elected,” he told Reuters in the capital, Islamabad, where he fled after the attack on his village in South Waziristan, one of several tribal areas near the Afghan border.
“Since yesterday, the pressure on my brain has increased. I remember all of the pain again.”
In his re-election campaign, Obama gave no indication he would halt or alter the drone program, which he embraced in his first term to kill Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan without risking American lives.
Drone strikes are highly unpopular among many Pakistanis, who consider it a violation of sovereignty that causes unacceptable civilian casualties.
“Whenever he has a chance, Obama will bite Muslims like a snake. Look at how many people he has killed with drone attacks,” said Haji Abdul Jabar, whose 23-year-old son was killed in such a bombing.
Analysts say anger over the unmanned aircraft may have helped the Taliban gain recruits, complicating efforts to stabilise the unruly border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. That could also hinder Obama’s plan to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan in 2014.
Obama authorised nearly 300 drone strikes in Pakistan during his first four years in office, more than six times the number during the administration of George W. Bush, according to the New America Foundation policy institute.
Since 2004, a total of 337 US drone strikes in Pakistan have killed between 1,908 and 3,225 people.
The institute estimates around 15 per cent of those killed were non-militants, although that percentage has declined sharply to around one to two per cent this year. Washington says drone strikes are very accurate and cause minimal civilian deaths.
The Pakistani government says tens of thousands of Pakistanis have been killed in the fight against the Taliban insurgency. Many were civilians caught in suicide bombings.
Others were killed by the Pakistani army.
Hard to secure data on drone attacks
Getting accurate data on casualties and the effects of drones is extremely difficult since the government allows few foreigners into the tribal areas and the Taliban often seal off the sites of strikes.
While the aerial campaign has weakened Al Qaeda, its ally, the Pakistani Taliban, remains a potent force despite a series of Pakistan army offensives against its strongholds in the northwest.
Seen as the biggest security threat to the Pakistani government, the Pakistani Taliban have been blamed for many of the suicide bombings across Pakistan, and a number of high profile attacks on military and police facilities.
“We are amazed that Obama has been re-elected. But for us there is no difference between Obama and Romney; both are enemies. And we will keep up our jihad and fight alongside our Afghan brothers to get the Americans out of Afghanistan,” said Pakistan Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.
On Thursday, a suicide bomber rammed the gates of a paramilitary base in Karachi, killing at least one soldier and wounding more than a dozen people.
Pakistanis were largely indifferent in the run-up to Tuesday’s election, expecting little change to the drone attacks regardless of whether Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney won.
“Any American, whether Obama or Mitt Romney, is cruel,” said Warshameen Jaan Haji, whose neighbourhood was struck by a drone last week, told Reuters on the eve of the election. “I lost my wife in the drone attack and my children are injured. Whatever happens, it will be bad for Muslims.”
For Khan, the Feb 2009 drone attack on his home left him as the main provider for 13 surviving family members, forcing him to move to Islamabad and work with a real estate company.
“When the Sandy hurricane came, I thought that Allah would wipe away America,” he said. “America just wants to take over the world.”
Better add Parvaiz Musharraf’s picture instead. He was the one who gave permission to the USA for drone attacks.
Drone Attacks do Pakistan a favor since The Pakistani Army is afraid of taking on the Militants.
Let me do you a favor, Zip it.
people die, because of cowardly drone attacks on innocents, think, if you are there to face an attack of this nature.
Drone attacks have already stopped since IK’s recent visit to USA.
USA foreign policy has little to do with who is US public figure-head – the ultimate decisions are made by Congress, not the President. Tell me … which US president would please Pakistan?
What about the Taliban killing or trying to kill their own people including young girls wanting an education, which I may remind is a REQUIREMENT in Islam. The Talibans are a bunch of terrorists who are not Muslims but actually tribals who historically have been killing each other. How can Pakistanis expect the US to care for Pakistani lives, when the Pakistanis are killing own fellow Pakistanis, and that too in the name of Islam, and honour and the like? And about Pakistan being a sovereign state; Ha!
If foreign infiltrators get out of their country, their anger will quench.
The lack of compassion in some of the comments is shocking. We’re talking about innocent civilians that have nothing to do with the taliban here. How would you feel if family members were randomly erased via unmaned drone attacks. A UN commission that is currently looking at the issue is qualifying what they have seen as war crimes. Shame on the Pakistani government for not protecting the Sovereignty of its territory and citizens.
The death of any innocent victim is deserving of compassion, including those in the World Trade Towers, and the airplanes that were hijacked to crash into them, and also thos innocents killed by US drones .. No government is innocent, yet almost all civilians are
@Sue Sturgess
You dont understand, do you? A simple question to you. How many people were killed in those airplanes and Trade towers and now compare them to how many innocent people died in these wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Pakistan. you dont care, right? and how many more life you want to take to satisfy your ego. People are also dying in Burma btw. Nobody gives a damn.
More than 1.5Million Muslims have payed with their lives for the less than 3000 of 9-11…not including more than two countries bombed into the stone age. How many more Muslims need be slaughtered to quench this vengance, revenge, and unending blood lust.
why you guys always talk of the “muslims killed” .when it comes to human life you shouldn’t differentiate. one muslim= one christian=hindu=budhist=ethiest……..
And a Romney victory would make the drones vanish off the skies??
Like they said: they don’t think there is any difference between the two!!! And no matter how much we all hate the Taliban it’s hard to love the Americans for innocent people like these who have lost their homes and families. You can’t be so indifferent to their suffering.
Brother, Death of innocent civilians is nothing but sad. Ridiculing those poor souls was never my intent, were just driving home my point that vctory to either of the candidates made no difference to ground realities. Apologies if I was insensitive while choosing words
Only a IK victory will do that…
IK can only oppose till he is not in power or rather he is opposing to b in power but once in power he will dare not look into his Masters Eye
The Great Khan recognizes no Overlord but Allah. He is the only Pakistani who has the nerve to look staight into the eyes of Invading Evil and NOT blink. He will bring Pakistan’s honor back. He will protect those who have no voice but forgotten drone kill’s rotting in the dirt He will pick up those who have fallen and have no savior. He will earn respect for Pakistan…peace will follow.
You have nothing to back that up. Nothing…!
May Allah make him do that
Unfortunately he is not leading a cricket team now
Not 11 men strong, no more. But 180million mighty nation strong. You will see his prowess with the ‘ball’ now. Not just wickets will fall but drones will hit the dirt and any evil that again looks at Pakistan askew.
It is High Noon…A new Sheriff is in town. He will bring back justice with honor.
A game changer…A leader has arisen in Pakistan. A mighty people are a awaking…
The Great Khan is here…!
Pakistan Zindabad
No, it will not make a difference. If any thing, Republicans will attack more. Drone attacks are meant for eliminating Taliban, which is in the interest of Pakistan. Civilian deaths are regrettable, but aren’t these people supporting Taliban in that area? How can Taliban live and run training camps, if the people in that area do not support them? Abettment of crime is crime.
So you are responsible for all the crime in your area?
So they wanted carpet bombings instead of drones? Where were these Muslims when terrorists were killing and maiming all over their place? Where were these warriors when the taliban was raping, killing and maiming their women in broad daylight? Where were these kind and compassionate souls when their women were prohibited from public places and banned from education?
Don’t be so ignorant. People are always striving for a better life against evil but they don’t resort to violence and rather would take more conservative routes whilst trying to maintain normal life and protect their family. It takes time!
Don’t make up that stuff. Dawn readers are not all that ignorant as you seem to think.
It is up to the government of Pakistan to negotiate a deal – or have they already?
Expect the same to continue if Obama said nothing then nothing is changed.
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“When the Sandy hurricane came, I thought that Allah would wipe away America,” he said. “America just wants to take over the world.”
.
Typical thinking. Everyone is waiting for Allah to solve their problems.
A point to ponder for all believers in Allah …. you believe that Allah is all-powerful, therefore she has full power to destroy all those who do not believe in her.
If Allah willed that non-believers should not exist.. then surely, they would not exist. The fact that they DO exist … must be the will of Allah.
Life is a test for believers in Allah and Allah let the non believers exist so to test the believers with.
That non-believers exist is indeed the Will of Allah…it is so stated in the Muslim Scripture. They are there to test Muslims’ faith and endurance. Yes it is indeed His Will…freedom of will He gave to Man. It is all written in there. Just read and verify.
Why Allah creates non believers?
Who would u pray and ask for help if you’re stuck in a well … Madonna???
Crediting and blaming Allah for human actions, its a stale game when covered up by false poetry and the so-called founding fathers of some modern day colonies were some of its latest petty imitators who appear to have successfully confused the world purely to satisfy their appetite for greed.
Please think clearly and write concisely. You make no sense whatsoever.
“God helps those who help themselves.” What it really means is, that people help themselves, God only watches.
No sir it does not mean that. You have misinterpreted. It means that Man has to us ‘free-will’ given him and initiate his intention and effort…and Allah’s help will follow
You will find out on the day of judgement my friend!!
That’s what a poor helpless fellow will always do.
@Cyrus Howell: “Typical thinking. Everyone is waiting for Allah to solve their problems.”
Sir you over simply in your cruel sarcasm. It is not typical thinking. It is the thinking of a man who’s father, two brothers, and a nephew—all family bread earners—were killed in a single drone missile strike. That is the thinking of a devastated helpless man. May Allah give him succor and endurance to face this horror and loss of most of his family.