The Pakistani army offensive following a summit with the U.S. state department rages on. As the veil lifts, we are seeing a campaign that targets militants with heavy weaponry, killing a large number of civilians. To think Pakistan's military is operating on a directive from Islamabad not influenced by United States interests is beyond naive. For context, may I please suggest this is like people from Washington D.C. giving orders to carpet bomb the Ozarks because an armed band of abortion clinic bombers lives there.
Furthermore, this might turn out to be Obama and Clinton's answer to the controversy plaguing the CIA armed unmanned drone campaign across the Afghan border: if Pakistan's military murder non-combatant Pakistani citizens ("tribal" citizens, whatever that is intended to mean as we read it over and over), no hearings and probably no investigation. Problem solved! Meanwhile, a new story emerges of another case of an ordinary Pakistani villager joining the Taliban and training to bring explosives to New York. Now are we talking about a resident of the "tribal areas?" The rhetoric reads, no--this one is a militant. I repeat, U.S. efforts in the Middle East are NOT breeding hatred and providing fresh terror campaigns on U.S. soil. So nice that we're clear on this. God is Great ... or rather, ... Bless America!
Tuesday, 13 April 2010 14:37 UK
At least 73 civilians were killed when an army jet bombed a remote village in Pakistan's tribal region of Khyber, a local official has told the BBC.
He said the incident took place on Saturday but news was slow in being reported because of the inaccessibility of the region.
The jet was involved in operations against Taliban militants in the nearby Orakzai tribal region.
Many people have died in air strikes in the area over the past 18 months.
The military insists most of them are militants, but independent sources say many civilians have also been killed.
Villagers say another strike - by a US drone missile - killed 13 people on Monday.
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