You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
India-Pakistan
Imran cites US university report: '90pc of drone strike victims innocent'
2012-09-28
[Dawn] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chief Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight...
has said a recent report of Stanford University
...contributed $595,716 to the 2008 Obama campaign. Is there a reason universities are among the top financiers of political campaigns?
, Caliphornia, USA, has confirmed that almost 90 per cent people being killed in US drone attacks in Wazoo are innocent citizens.

"The Stanford University report has indirectly confirmed that the Pakistain government is conniving with the US government, expecting it will help it come into power again in the next elections," Mr Khan said at a news conference at his Zaman Park residence on Wednesday.

At the presser, former MNA and Sheikhupura District Nazim Sahibzada Mian Jalil Ahmad Sharaqpuri announced joining the PTI along with his supporters.

Mr Khan said he had been asking the federal government to give names of the "alleged terrorists" being killed in drone attacks but it never revealed their identity.

"The government is pursuing hypocritical policy by condemning US drone attacks on one hand and facilitating the US government in such strikes secretly," he added. Fearing its hypocrisy would be exposed, he alleged, the government was denying visas to international human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
activists and journalists.

He said international observers would raise voice against drone attacks in the West, but "apparently it does not suit the present government".

The PTI chief said the Stanford University report also established that the "war against terrorism" was counter-productive in Pakistain as it proved instrumental in multiplying terrorism in the country. He said all Paks must join PTI's 'Waziristan Peace March' to play their role in eradicating terrorism in the country.

Stating the present government had ruined the small farmers by raising prices of goods and services and lowering the value for agriculture produce, Imran Khan announced launching a 'civil disobedience' campaign from all villages in Pakistain. He said the small farmers were no more able to pay bills for their tube-well's electricity and diesel.

"The government should stop squeezing poor citizens by raising prices of essential items including diesel and petrol and instead collect taxes from millionaires and billionaires, including Asif Ali Zardari," he demanded.

To a question, the PTI chief said two types of politicians -- ideological and opportunists -- had joined his party after Oct 30 public meting in Lahore. "The (joining by) top politicians helped PTI grow strong and now the departure of opportunists is also strengthening the party base," he added.

Saying more such (opportunist) people would soon leave the party, he added: "The PTI will win on the basis of its ideology and not the candidates".

To another question, he said, the PTI was fighting against two media cells -- one of Punjab government and the other of centre -- that created doubts about the party and lowered its popularity graph for the time being.

He said President Zardari was never available to the Paks even when they were caught in floods or terrorism. "The PTI has given its policies to make Pakistain a true welfare state," he added.
Posted by:Fred

#9  I think they have their ratio reversed - methinks 10% innocent and 90% guilty is more accurate. So does a Stanford researcher call or visit the bombed-out house and ask how many of the people killed there were Taliban? And what constitutes 'innocent' victims - anyone whose gun was hauled away before the investigators got there?
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-09-28 15:47  

#8  Well said, Raider.
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-09-28 15:14  

#7  time out. the drone strikes are aimed at valid targets. the problem is that those targets are taking shelter in homes with families. are we supposed to believe that the people running those houses don't know they've got a prominent militant staying for dinner? give me a break! there's no solution to this issue - guerillas hide within the local population. if the people decide to give them shelter, some collateral deaths are inevitable. it is painful - but that is war.
Posted by: Raider   2012-09-28 13:44  

#6  Mind you, drone strikes will only be mentioned in the MSM if Romney wins.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-09-28 10:06  

#5  Sheltering with a OP is a crime by the OP, not the person targeting them.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-09-28 10:05  

#4  I their hands were blown off the weapon they had been carrying, they're "innocent victims" in the liberal academia's eyes
Posted by: Frank G   2012-09-28 09:21  

#3  Sort of matches the 8th Army Air Force's pin-point bombing record over Germany. Given that the German's weren't too concerned about Guernica, Warsaw, Rotterdam, London, etc the other side wasn't either. Explosives delivered by missile or vest, car, etc are still explosives.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2012-09-28 09:04  

#2  We know.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-09-28 03:04  

#1  I hope such a report is untrue. Still I find it hard to believe there are many innocents in waziristan.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2012-09-28 00:26  

00:00