David Ignatius says in the Washington Post that even while protesting against these attacks, the Pakistani government has made a deal with the U.S. to allow them to continue. Is Zardari is trying to continue the double game that Pakistan has been playing for years? One wonders if anyone in Washington has taken notice of this report. Friend and Ally Update: "Pakistani president demands halt of U.S. drone attacks," from Xinhua, November 3 (thanks to Eleutheria ´H Thanatos):
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said the United States drone raids on Pakistani territory should be stopped, describing them as counter-productive, private TV channel Geo reported.Zardari met Commander of the United States Central Command General David Howell Petraeus and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher here at the President House, said the report.
He said, "Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a credibility gap."
Zardari said that the U.S. leadership has affirmed respect for Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, in the wake of drone attacks on Pakistani side of the border the government was under pressure to react more aggressively, he added....
Zardari is the crook, slightly less Islamist in inclination, who is the widower of Pinky Bhutto. In other words, he's one of the anglophone zamindars who own most of Pakistan, though some in the military, that other center of power and for some a royal road to riches, are giving the zamindars, or landowners (with jute, textiles, stuff like that) a run for their money.
He's better than Nawaz Sharif, in just the same way that beetle-browed Brezhnev was "better" than party-theoretician Mikhail Suslov, or Chou En-Lai (with his worldly cigarette-holder, and his French) was "better" than that dour and determined Long-Marcher and epic natator, Chairman Mao. But he's still awful, still mendacious, and still not about to come clean, and say to General Petraeus or anyone else, the truth: Look, we're Muslims. We don't like you. You are Infidels. Our people cannot like you. Their sympathies are naturally with any Muslims fighting you, unless that particular Muslim group has just finished decapitating the people in the next village, and now threaten them. That's the only way they will give you, and only most temporarily, any cooperation, and they will do so only so that you supply them, or supply us, with weapons galore. Oh, and money, of course, money. You can't expect us to ask Saudi Arabia or the U.A.E. or Kuwait or Qatar for money; the money must comme from Infidels.
No, he won't say that.
It's up to General Petraeus, who is slow and methodical -- entirely too slow in his learning-curve about Islam, and still, his new post as head of CENTCOM does not, apparently, allow him to take a peek at what is happening elsewhere, in Thailand or Indonesia, or most importantly, in Western Europe, or to figure out that what the military do is a very small part of what must be done. No, so far this seems to have escaped him, though there are glimmers, here and there, of his understanding of the meaning, and menace, of Islam broadening, and deepening.
But s-l-o-w-l-y. Too s-l-o-w-l-y.
ZARDARI: "Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a credibility gap."
"Loss of precious lives"???...
Sounds like Al Qaeda has been lobbying their friends in the ISI to do something about the gradual depletion of their leadership.
You know how clever the US is. Planting Pakistani soldiers in the middle of a group of Al-Qaeda fighters. Our mistake, so sorry.
Pakistani president demands that US stop drone attacks
US population demands Pakistani president stop Islamic drone attacks
it will be a blunder to stop drone attacks. all these guys should have a party with allah.
Jihadis want to play the terror game? It sounds like we're one-up on them and it's only going to get better. Let the terror reign supreme in that desolate backwater forever. I'll bet they don't take a nature break without wondering if some USAF RPV driver in Nevada sipping on a Slurpee that they picked up on the way to "work" is deciding whether to press the pickle switch on their sorry carcass. Have some terror on us Mr. Taliban, compliments of the American Taxpayer. Don't EVER wake sleeping giants if you are not prepared for the consequences.
It has been said that General Petraeus might make a good future POTUS.
I hope future generations of Americans remember this.
ZARDARI: "Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a credibility gap."
what? because we're democratically government we can't fight a war?
Pakistan is paranoid about losing Afghanistan to India. Indian influence is much stronger there then pakistan can even imagine:
1. afghans listen to Indian music and watch indian music
2. India has two consulates and one embassy (blown up by ISI)
3. India is the fourth largest donor in Afghanistan
4. India rehabilitated the road from Zaranj to Delaram which means more indian goods in Afghanistan (Iran being the obligatory transit country)
and much much more...Pakistan is losing ground and it knows it.