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Pakistan accused of tipping off more militants about raids

Ahlevah

Ahlevah

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US officials say Pakistan has apparently tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the terror suspects time to flee, after US intelligence shared the locations with the Pakistani government....

The latest incidents bring to a total of four bomb-making sites that the United States has shared with Pakistan only to have the terrorist suspects flee before the Pakistani military arrived much later.

Pakistan accused of tipping off more militants about raids - The Boston Globe
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I don't know who's dumber: US or the Pakistanis.
 
I don't trust Pakistan's motives, but unlike some other opinions I've heard, I do not think we should cut ties with them. They are a nuclear power immersed in a region of radicalism. Our continued presence and cooperation - however shoddy - will help to maintain security in the region. That in turn helps us, as we have economic and political assets tied to nearby countries.
 
Yeah, who didn't see that coming? Everyone knows that Paki intelligence is in Al Qaeda's pocket. The only way we'll get anything done over there is to keep the Paki government out of the loop, which will probably end up badly as well.
 
Temporal said:
Our continued presence and cooperation - however shoddy - will help to maintain security in the region.
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I see no reason to believe that to be the case, as Pakistan was a lot more stable BEFORE we started bombing it than it is now. The United States is loathed throughout Pakistan, and our bombing not only turns people against us, but it also undermines the credibility of both the civilian government of Pakistan and the Pakistani security apparatus.

I especially don't see any reason to think that our analysts can determine how to best stabilize Pakistan, better than the various factions within Pakistan can...factions that, at best, grudgingly acquiesce to our presence under heavy pressure from the State Department and the Pentagon.

We should cease all bombing in Pakistan unless it's for a very high-profile figure like Zawahiri.
 
Kandahar said:
The United States is loathed throughout Pakistan....
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I wonder about that. The people who are most affected by drone strikes are in North and South Waziristan. These people see Taliban and al-Qaeda militants attack their markets with suicide bombs, assassinate their tribal elders, occupy their homes, and so forth, so I find it difficult to believe the majority of people in these areas don't support taking out these militants in any manner possible, including using American-operated drones:

The Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy, a think tank of researchers and political activists from the NWFP and FATA, conducts research, surveys and collect statistics on various issues concerning the Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorism and human security there. AIRRA research teams go deep inside Taliban- and Al-Qaeda-occupied areas of FATA to collect information. Most of the areas are not accessible to journalists.

Between last November and January AIRRA sent five teams, each made up of five researchers, to the parts of FATA that are often hit by American drones, to conduct a survey of public opinion about the attacks. The team visited Wana (South Waziristan), Ladda (South Waziristan), Miranshah (North Waziristan), Razmak (North Waziristan) and Parachinar (Kurram Agency). The teams handed out 650 structured questionnaires to people in the areas. The questionnaires were in Pashto, English and Urdu. The 550 respondents (100 declined to answer) were from professions related to business, education, health and transport....

Over two-thirds of the people viewed Al-Qaeda and the Taliban as enemy number one, and wanted the Pakistani army to clear the area of the militants. A little under two-thirds want the Americans to continue the drone attack because the Pakistani army is unable or unwilling to retake the territory from the Taliban.

A survey of Drone Attacks in Pakistan. What do the people of FATA think? – by Farhat Taj
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From what I've read, most people in the tribal areas are more upset with the Pakistani Army for not protecting them. I suspect that many of the people making noise and protesting against the drone strikes are Islamists aligned with or, at least, sympathetic with the Taliban.
 
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