Erratum: CNN Story on Pakistan, Spying and Drone Attacks

In my last post at 6:41 pm Monday, I made a mistake in claiming CNN doesn't cover CIA drone attacks in Pakistani territory.

Reza Sayah writes, "There have been at least 21 U.S. drone strikes this year in Pakistan's tribal region, according to a CNN tally. The most recent, on Sunday night, killed five militants, according to officials. All of the strikes have hit locations in North Waziristan, where the bodies were found, or near the border with South Waziristan. The Taliban have killed dozens of people in the tribal region for allegedly providing information to the United States about militant leaders' whereabouts."

The piece is dated March 21, 2010 3:41 p.m. EDT, 3 hours to the minute ahead of the post containing my claim CNN doesn't write about this topic.

The story focuses on six murder victims in Pakistan.

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The bullet-riddled bodies of six people were found Sunday in Pakistan's tribal region, four of them near a letter that accused them of spying for the United States, two local government officials told CNN.

Four of the bodies were found in front of a bus stop near the village of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, the officials said. The other two were found just outside the town of Miranshah, also in North Waziristan.

The letter was found near the four bodies. The officials said they did not know the exact wording of the letter, but said it was written in Pashto and warned that this would be the fate of those who spy for the United States.

http://www.cnn.com


My only complaint is that these stories should appear more frequently in mainstream U.S. media outlets. I say this because, as I have stated in these pages, I don't think Pakistan is any place for U.S. military action without the involvement of Congress or some official announcement that the United States is at war in Pakistan, and Pakistan's citizens are made aware their country is a target of U.S. military aggression. Not retaliation, aggression.