As this article at The Long War Journal states, it's been 23 days since a U.S. predator drone has struck any target in NW Pakistan - the fourth longest period ever without a strike and more than likely, this current lull will end up as the longest period ever.
I wanted to make this clear to everyone who is used to every predator drone strike being reported here at Holger Awakens - I wanted you all to know I haven't missed any strikes or simply not reported them. This info comes from an article on another topic but includes:
The US Predator campaign is on hold after the March 17 strike in Datta Khel that killed a senior Taliban commander, 11 fighters, and more than 30 tribesmen. The strike reportedly took place as the Taliban tried to broker a deal over mineral rights in the area. Top Pakistani military leaders and government officials publicly denounced the March 17 strike.
There has not been a strike in 23 days; the current pause is the fourth-longest period without an attack since the US dramatically ramped up the program in August 2008.
This whole issue defines what is wrong with Pakistan in general. Imagine, a country that has been ravaged by the Taliban...a top political leader assassinated by the same group...the country's nuclear weapons actually rumored to be in jeopardy of confiscation by the same group and yet, in a strike like this where some serious Taliban leadership is taken out, the Pakistani government feels the need to denounce the drones.
Let's get to the real facts here - in the past two years the Taliban have killed not 30 tribesmen in NW Pakistan but in the THOUSANDS of tribesmen but the Pakistani government feels the need to be outraged by the drone strike. And up until this strike, we saw the Pakistani government relishing in the fact that the American strikes were indeed affecting the Taliban. I personally think the drone strikes will be back on in about 3 weeks....the Pakistani government is going to agree that if they go back to what things were like three years ago, they will be on the edge of destruction.
Lashkar-e-Khorasan executes 3 'US spies' in North Waziristan
The Lashkar-e-Khorasan executed three so-called "US spies" in North Waziristan. From the Daily Times via the South Asia Terrorism Portal:
Two tribesmen and an Afghan national were killed on charges of spying for United States in two separate places in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 8, reports Daily Times. Sources said that the dead body of Aziz, an Afghan national, was found near Nowrek village in Mir Ali tehsil (revenue unit) and those of two local tribesmen, Inayatullah and Shah Wali, were spotted in Pir Kali area near Miramshah. Chits strapped to the bodies said the three had been killed because they were spying for the US.
The Taliban established the Lashkar-e-Khorasan late last year to root out tribesmen and Taliban members thought to be providing information to US and Pakistani intelligence officials for use in the US' Predator air campaign. For more on the group, see Taliban create Lashkar-e-Khorasan to hunt Predator spies.
The US Predator campaign is on hold after the March 17 strike in Datta Khel that killed a senior Taliban commander, 11 fighters, and more than 30 tribesmen. The strike reportedly took place as the Taliban tried to broker a deal over mineral rights in the area. Top Pakistani military leaders and government officials publicly denounced the March 17 strike.
There has not been a strike in 23 days; the current pause is the fourth-longest period without an attack since the US dramatically ramped up the program in August 2008.
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