Warfare continues to become more professional and dehumanized every day.

The purpose of Extraordinary Edition is being revisited for winter, headed into 2013. U.S. foreign policy, Central Asia and the Middle East remain key focal points. Economics and culture on your front doorstep are coming into focus here.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Pakistan, Drones and the Unpopularity of the U.S. War in Afghanistan

Amid the climate of escalation and apparent shuffling of tactics in the Pentagon today, most folks aren't noticing that the U.S. War in Afghanistan is largely run by the CIA, that its frequently being fought in a destabilized Pakistan where the conventions of international conflict (Congressional declaration of war, official status as an ally downgraded to enemy, some kind of responsibility informally but publicly pinned on leader of offending nation, U.S. Military announcements of strategy for achievement of objectives in target region and an outline of those objectives ... ) are being flouted by both invader and invaded, and civilian contractors, namely a U.S. Corporation whose employees and officers under investigation by the FBI for murder and corruption formerly known as Blackwater, appear to be running the operation.

The question I would be asking if I was, say, a proud American parent of a U.S. soldier, "Are our soldiers there just to provide cover for the CIA operation of drone strikes into Pakistan?" Is the CIA running intelligence missions under the rifle sights of U.S. sentries in crowded markets in southern Afghanistan so that Blackwater can fly remote controlled missle drones in violation of international law and the conventions of combat to murder four to six civilians--mostly women and children--for each military target, probably Al Qaeda, probably not Osama Bin Laden?

Furthermore, with embedded media present under strict agreements with the Pentagon, can U.S. and other major media outlets even begin to address let alone answer this question?

What Constitutes Unpopular Aggression, and for that matter, Illegal Aggression

Suspected U.S. Drone Strike Kills 15 in Pakistan

Thursday, December 17, 2009

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Pakistani intelligence officials say the latest suspected U.S. missile strike along the Afghan border has killed 15 people, including seven alleged foreign militants.

The officials say the strike involved five drones and 10 missiles, a massing of resources that suggests the U.S. had homed in on a high-profile target.

The missiles Thursday hit two compounds in the Ambarshaga area of the North Waziristan tribal region. It was the second such strike of the day in the Pakistani territory.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

The U.S. rarely confirms such strikes. Pakistan protests them, but is believed to secretly aid them.