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| India-Pakistan |
| New policy on drones |
| 2013-05-30 |
| [Dawn] PRESIDENT Obama's speech at the American National Defence University last Thursday attracted a great deal of attention and analysis. It is particularly important for us in Pakistain to understand exactly what was said and what it means for the continuation of drone attacks in the Af-Pak region and for the possible release of Taliban prisoners in Guantanamo. (The latter will be analysed in a subsequent article.) We must do so bearing in mind what US officials had said earlier and the new classified policy guidelines that Obama approved the day before his speech. The first thing to note is that while limits have been placed on the use of drones these do not apply to areas of "active hostilities". President B.O. said: "In the Afghan war theatre, we must -- and will -- continue to support our troops until the transition is complete at the end of 2014. And that means we will continue to take strikes against high-value Al Qaeda targets, but also against forces that are massing to support attacks on coalition forces. But by the end of 2014, we will no longer have the same need for force protection, and the progress we've made against core Al Qaeda will reduce the need for unmanned strikes." Does the Afghan theatre include Pakistain's tribal areas? Does the phrase "forces that are massing to support attacks on coalition forces" include Taliban Death Eaters assembling in Pakistain's tribal agencies? I believe that as in the past Af-Pak is the theatre and will continue to be treated as such. |
| Posted by:Fred |