I noted that this was probably the first time in history that one nuclear power attacked the national territory of another nuclear power.
Yesterday, it was revealed that Pakistan was retaliating by shutting off our oil supply in Afghanistan.
Serious stuff, right?
I guess not. Today, we have attacked yet another Taliban stronghold. Once again, apparently, without permission:
At least 20 people were killed and 25 others injured Monday after several
missiles fired by unmanned U.S. Predator drones hit a religious school and the
house of a powerful Taliban commander in northwest Pakistan, near the border of
Afghanistan, according to witnesses and a Pakistani security official.
The missile strike occurred about 10:30 a.m. in the small village of
Dande Darpa Khel in the tribal area of North Waziristan. Bashirullah, a resident
of the village who like many ethnic Pashtuns uses only one name, said two
Predator drones fired six missiles at a religious seminary school run by top
Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani. The intense, rapid-fire bombing raid also
destroyed Haqqani's nearby home and several other houses, Bashirullah said.
A Pakistani security official in North Waziristan confirmed villagers'
accounts of the attack, saying that the Taliban commander's supporters
immediately cordoned off the area around the bomb site and barred anyone from
entering. He said that Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin -- a leading Taliban
fighter -- were not in any of the targeted buildings when the missiles struck.
Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, chief spokesman for the Pakistani military, also
confirmed that the attack had occurred. But he said he could not verify whether
U.S. drones had fired the missiles or disclose any further details until the
military's investigation is complete.
The missile launch in North
Waziristan comes amid a wave of stepped-up attacks by U.S. forces in Pakistan's
border areas near Afghanistan. The strike Monday marked the fifth cross-border
incursion by U.S. forces in about a week. On Wednesday, at least 20 people were
killed in the Pakistani tribal area of South Waziristan after U.S. helicopters
flew nearly 20 miles across the border from Afghanistan and ground troops
launched an assault on the small tribal village of Musa Nika. Pakistani sources
said the helicopters contained both U.S. and Afghan forces but differed on
whether those who attacked on the ground included Americans.
Why is it that the United States is suddenly unconcerned Pakistan's opinion? I think there could be two reasons.
1) We have their tacit permission, even if there is no public evidence of it
2) We are hoping to encourage a military coup to replace the current unstable and uncooperative Pakistani government.
The Pakistani Military, which put the U.S.-friendly Musharraf into place, has traditionally been more pro-Western than the Pakistani political power structure.
It should be interesting to watch these developments in the coming weeks.
Third Reason:
ReplyDeleteMaybe we don't give a hoot and decided unilaterally we are not going to let those towel heads kill our people anymore without consequences.
I say we use take our American flags and use it on their necks as a tourniquet.
ReplyDeleteThat'll teach those towelheads.