Thursday, September 6, 2018

USA Drones Killing Pashtos


Nadene Goldfoot                                         

Ever since 2004, the USA has been attacking NW Pakistan with drones under the CIA's Special Activities Division.  This was under George Walker Bush and Barack Hussein Obama II's time in office.  These strikes were in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border of NW Pakistan, the area where the Pashtuns live.  The strikes increased under Obama.  Some call these the "Drone War."  The Bush Administration denied this was going on, but in 2013 Obama's Administration told us for the 1st time that 4 US citizens had been killed in the strikes.  Who has died from the strikes?  Only 13% were intended targets and 81% were other "militants," and 6% were civilians.  94% of militant deaths included some "military-age males" because they were men in a military building at the time and hadn't been proven innocent.  Estimates for civilian deaths range from 158 to 965.  It was found that a number of victims were unarmed and that some strikes could amount to war crimes.

By December 2013 under Obama's Administration, Pakistan  had a resolution against the US drone strikes in Pakistan and called them a violation of the charter of the UN international laws.  Former PM, Nawaz Sharif, kept demanding an end to the strikes.  The Peshawar High Court ruled that the attacks are illegal, inhumane, violate the Universal Declaration of Human rights and constitute a war crime.  Obama's administration disagreed, contended that the attacks didn't violate any international law and that the method of attack was precise and effective.
                                                                         
These strikes are closely tied to a drone campaign going on in Afghanistan along the very same border area.  War there started in 2001 under Bush.  They have killed 3,363-4-4,467 militant and 150-313 civilians.  Hundreds of high level leaders of the Afghan, Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, the Haggani Network, and other organizations, with 70 Taliban leaders killed in one 10 day period of May 2017 alone.  This now included Trump's administration being 2017.  I note that John Brennan was one from CIA advising the president from 2013 to 2017 as the Director.  He followed such men as Porter J. Goss, George J Tenet, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus, all advisers to the presidents in this matter.
                                                                           
Obviously it is ISIS and the Taliban that have been the targets for all 3 USA Presidents.  ISIS has threatened Israel, and is a threat all over the world, attacking the world in many places.  They undoubtedly do what HAMAS has done to Israel, hide among the civilians.  Israel has developed weapons that can pinpoint a target without hitting others if out for one person.   It looks like civilians in Pashtun  land areas are being killed in the zeal to get ISIS or Taliban combatants.
                                                                         
The Border between Afghanistan and Pakistan where Pashtos live:

Notice the area of Kandahar, where a village was hit badly in their own fight against the Taliban.  The target for USA then  must be including the Taliban, 
a terrorist group also taking in Pashtos who have attacked other Pashtos. 

"By 2011, Kandahar became known as the assassination city of Afghanistan after witnessing many target killings. In July Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of President Hamid Karzai, was shot by his longtime head of security. Soon after the Quetta Shura of the Taliban claimed responsibility. The next day an Islamic cleric (mulla) of the famous Red Mosque in the Shahr-e Naw area of the city and a number of other people were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who had hidden explosives inside his turban. On 27 July 2011, the mayor of the city, Ghulam Haider Hamidi, was assassinated by another Taliban militant who had hidden explosives in his turban. Two deputy mayors had been killed in 2010,[38] while many tribal elders and Islamic clerics have also been assassinated in the last several years."
                                                                               
Soldiers from Charlie troop, 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, during a shura in the village of Maaruf Karez, in Kandahar province. YAROSLAV TROFIMOV/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"EMARAT, Afghanistan—Three days before the first American patrol rolled into this village in Kandahar province, the Taliban paid a visit to farmer Ismail Khan. They kidnapped his son, who worked on a government road project, beat up Mr. Khan, and torched the family's prized possession, a white Toyota Corolla."  The Taliban attack Pashtuns, as Mr. Khan is most likely a Pashtun living there.  
We are just realizing that among the civilians being hit are the Pashtuns who live in this exact area.  They are the remnants of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel, just recently being discussed about in a large meeting in Jerusalem. Over 2,000 men were taken away from Israel in 721 BCE by the Assyrians. People from the Babylonian attack on Judah  in 586 BCE might also be included in the group. 
                                                                             
Pakistan protests against USA Drone Attacks-
STOP DRONE ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN
The Pakistan Air Force was ordered to shoot down US drones.  
 To kill civilians that are not part of any terrorist group  such as the Taliban or ISIS who are out to kill and have been killing other innocent people is also unthinkable, something that Israel has bent over backwards to not to do when being forced to respond to the attacks on Israel and its civilians.  Like Israel, I would expect more thought in our own USA air force in the safety of the civilians of the area.  Have they warned civilians like Israel has done when they drop leaflets or announce with megaphones or what have you?  Are the civilians being held against their own will to be in these targeted areas?  These things should be looked into, as well as the civilians themselves need to take protection quickly.  In Israel, civilians often have only 30 seconds to take cover.  It looks like both Jews of Israel and Pashtuns have been under the very same risk of their lives  at the same time and haven't realized it.

As for the USA and Pakistan,  Pakistan, one of the largest recipients of American aid, was aghast after UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced plans to indefinitely suspend $225 million in foreign military aid at the start of January this year, accusing Islamabad of “playing a double game for years” with its selective support for various militant groups operating on its soil.  Pakistan may have responded to the withholding of aid by taking the pressure off counterterror efforts on its border with Afghanistan – likely easing the movement of militants and their supplies.  The new PM of Pakistan has this problem to deal with  

In the war against terror, civilians are getting hit.  

Resource:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_strikes_in_Pakistan
https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-Central-Intelligence-Agency-directors-1787118
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704904604575262231676468708




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