U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan called very effective

[KGB_resident]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/18/cia.pakistan.airstrikes/index.html

U.S. airstrikes aimed at al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan have been "very effective," with few civilian deaths as a result, CIA Director Leon Panetta said Monday in a rare public acknowledgment of the raids.

Asked about criticism of the missile attacks by counterinsurgency experts, Panetta said he did not want to discuss specifics, "but I can assure you that in terms of that particular area, it is very precise and is very limited in terms of collateral damage."

"Very frankly, it's the only game in town in terms of confronting or trying to disrupt the al Qaeda leadership," Panetta told the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles.

Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are airstrikes on its territory by U.S.-operated drones.

Do you think that the US airstikes in Pakistan are effective from military, diplomatical, political points of view?

Two leading former advisers on counterinsurgency warfare, David Kilcullen and Andrew Exum, wrote in The New York Times over the weekend that the strikes have killed about 14 terrorist leaders in the past three years -- but Pakistani sources say the civilian death toll could be as high as 700.
...
While U.S. officials dispute that ratio, Kilcullen and Exum wrote, "Every one of these dead noncombatants represents an alienated family, a new desire for revenge and more recruits for a militant movement that has grown exponentially even as drone strikes have increased."

"The persistence of these attacks on Pakistani territory offends people's deepest sensibilities, alienates them from their government and contributes to Pakistan's instability," Kilcullen and Exum said. They compared the tactics to British bombardment of the same region in the 1920s and French airstrikes on Algeria in the 1950s, arguing that the strikes were likely to remind Pakistanis of colonial rule.

Maybe the experts and decision makers in the CIA and the Pentagon don't understand these arguments? Unlikely. But for them international image of the USA is not an issue at all. Apparently the CIA hasn't other means at own disposal and the strikes are a confession that the CIA hasn't a net of local agents in respective areas of Pakistan.

 

[Bravo_Bravo]

More effective than your lot just blatting away in Chechnya, Gospodin.

 

[KGB_resident]

More effective than your lot just blatting away in Chechnya, Gospodin.

The strikes in Chechnya were accompanied with ground operations. The result is rather positive. The situation is Chechya is much better now.

As for Pakistan then unlikely the American armed forces would start any ground operations deep inside Pakistan anytime soon. So the purpose of the strikes is unclear... Though it is quite clear. The producers of missiles wish to sell new and new expensive 'toys'.

So the strikes are very effective from financial point of view for some businessmen and some corrupted officials in Washington.

Pushtun villagers in remote mountaneous areas of Pakistan die because some crooks wish to pump taxpayers money in own pockets.

 

[leveller]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

 

[KGB_resident]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

 

[msr]

The strikes in Chechnya were accompanied with ground operations. The result is rather positive. The situation is Chechya is much better now.

 

[Majorpain]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Pity the Chechen's dont see it that way!

 

[leveller]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Which in someways makes it even worse, bit like the UK carpet bombing the Isle of White.
I'll wager your little spat has killed more than 700 civiliains?

 

[Bravo_Bravo]

Naturally Sergei will see the Chechnya episode as being sponsored by Taylor Wimpy; its all a plot to build new houses.

 

[KGB_resident]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Which in someways makes it even worse, bit like the UK carpet bombing the Isle of White.
I'll wager your little spat has killed more than 700 civiliains?

So the villagers in Pakistan may ask: why don't you bomb Taxas but bomb us? What have we did wrong?

Chechnya was a big problem for Russia. It is sufficient to mention terror acts.

 

[leveller]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Which in someways makes it even worse, bit like the UK carpet bombing the Isle of White.
I'll wager your little spat has killed more than 700 civiliains?

So the villagers in Pakistan may ask: why don't you bomb Taxas but bomb us? What have we did wrong?

Chechnya was a big problem for Russia. It is sufficient to mention terror acts.

And AQ training camps are based where? I think its a country that starts with P and is next to India.

 

[KGB_resident]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Which in someways makes it even worse, bit like the UK carpet bombing the Isle of White.
I'll wager your little spat has killed more than 700 civiliains?

So the villagers in Pakistan may ask: why don't you bomb Taxas but bomb us? What have we did wrong?

Chechnya was a big problem for Russia. It is sufficient to mention terror acts.

And AQ training camps are based where? I think its a country that starts with P and is next to India.

Reportedly the camps were based in Afghanistan not in Pakistan. So namely Afganistan was invaded in 2001.

 

[AndyPipkin]

Sergey, why do you hate America so much? You seem unnaturally obsessed by it.

 

[leveller]

I would imagine that the Pakistanies do not have that many 'smart' bombs, so they leave that bit to the Yanks.

By the way Pakistan protests against the bombings. So the USA bomb a terriroty of independent state without permission.

On the topic of Chechnya, the locals welcome your mob with red carpets did they? No bombs or bullets miss there target at all?
I assume thats why most of Chechnya looks like a bad day in Dresden?

At least Chechnya is a part of Russia.

Which in someways makes it even worse, bit like the UK carpet bombing the Isle of White.
I'll wager your little spat has killed more than 700 civiliains?

So the villagers in Pakistan may ask: why don't you bomb Taxas but bomb us? What have we did wrong?

Chechnya was a big problem for Russia. It is sufficient to mention terror acts.

And AQ training camps are based where? I think its a country that starts with P and is next to India.

Reportedly the camps were based in Afghanistan not in Pakistan. So namely Afganistan was invaded in 2001.

Read your own link, they(US), are after AQ.

A few years ago a few swarthy looking chaps, nicked some planes and crashed them. They were part of the AQ club, and IIRC some held Pakistani passports.
This p1ssed the yanks off for some reason, and if Pakistan wont sort it out itself, then the yanks will do it for them.

I dont see that the Russians would react any differently?

And I am no big fan of the septics, but they dont tend to make empty threats.

 

[KGB_resident]

Sergey, why do you hate America so much? You seem unnaturally obsessed by it.

First of all I don't hate the USA. My feelings are deep respect to the Americans. On a personal level there are no problems. We dislike the same things: corruption, brutality, violation of human rights, killings of innocent.

I express my point in this thread. The airstrikes in Pakistan are being made to make huge profits for weapon manufactures and allegedly big bribes are being paid.

 

[Goldbricker]

[
So the villagers in Pakistan may ask: why don't you bomb Taxas but bomb us? What have we did wrong?

"Taxas"? where the hell is that?

 

[PartTimePongo]

Can we talk about US airstrikes in Pakistan , rather than Bear Baiting please?

It doesn't serve any purpose, it's not debate, and it's a subject which is important.

 

[leveller]

Sergey, why do you hate America so much? You seem unnaturally obsessed by it.

First of all I don't hate the USA. My feelings are deep respect to the Americans. On a personal level there are no problems. We dislike the same things: corruption, brutality, violation of human rights, killings of innocent.

I express my point in this thread. The airstrikes in Pakistan are being made to make huge profits for weapon manufactures and allegedly big bribes are being paid.

Utter bollox, I'm sure there are bribes floating about, we only have to look at BAE overhere, but I cannot see that a weapons manufacturer will have any influence on the mission in Afgan/Pakistan.

 

[Goldbricker]

Sergey, why do you hate America so much? You seem unnaturally obsessed by it.

First of all I don't hate the USA. My feelings are deep respect to the Americans. On a personal level there are no problems. We dislike the same things: corruption, brutality, violation of human rights, killings of innocent.

I express my point in this thread. The airstrikes in Pakistan are being made to make huge profits for weapon manufactures and allegedly big bribes are being paid.

Wait, your saying that 2 U.S. administrations, both diametrically different are being bribed to allow airstrikes by the USAF against Pakistan just for profits of the JDAM manufacturers? So how much is Obama's cut to allow this, More than Bush?

 

[AndyPipkin]

Goldbricker - you must have heard of Dollars, Taxes?