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The United States government has made a series of attacks on targets in Pakistan since 2004 using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles). Under the George W. Bush administration, these controversial attacks were called a part of the US' "War on Terrorism" and sought to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants who were thought to have found a safe haven in Pakistan. Most of these attacks are on targets in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Northwest Pakistan. These strikes are thought to be carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated remotely by the Central Intelligence Agency and have continued under the Presidency of Barack Obama. Generally the UAVs used are MQ-1 Predator and more recently …show more content…
They also claimed that the drone attacks have addled and confused the Taliban, and have led them to turn against each other.
During a protest against drone attacks, in an event sponsored by Nevada Desert Experience, Father Louie Vitale, Kathy Kelly, Stephen Kelly, SJ, Eve Tetaz, John Dear, and others were arrested outside Creech Air Force Base on Wednesday April 9, 2009.
In May 2009 it was reported that the USA was sharing drone intelligence with Pakistan. Leon Panetta reiterated on May 19, 2009 that the US intended to continue the Drone attacks.
On July 20, 2009, the Brookings Institution released a report stating that ten civilians died in the drone attacks for every militant killed. It suggested the real answer to halting al-Qaeda's activity in Pakistan will be long-term support of Pakistan's counterinsurgency efforts. In July 2009 it was reported that (according to US officials) Osama Bin Laden's son Saad bin Laden was believed to have been killed in a drone attack earlier in the year.
Pakistani …show more content…
strikes against Pakistan killed 701 people, of which 14 were Al-Qaeda militants and 687 'innocent civilians'.
On April 28, 2009 Pakistan's consul general to the US, Aqil Nadeem, asked the US to hand over control of its drones in Pakistan to his government. Said Nadeem, "Do we want to lose the war on terror or do we want to keep those weapons classified? If the American government insists on our true cooperation, then they should also be helping us in fighting those terrorists." President Zardari has also requested that Pakistan be given control over the drones but this has been rejected by the US who are worried that Pakistanis will leak information about targets to militants.
On August 20, 2009 the Pakistan Air Force announced that it would begin development on its own version, called Falco, of unmanned aerial vehicles in collaboration with Italian company Selex Galileo. Production was to begin at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in