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'Obama responsible for drone strikes'
'Obama responsible for drone strikes'
Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:28PM GMT
PressTV - 'Obama responsible for drone strikes'
Interview with Naveed Ahmad, Defense & Diplomacy Analyst
A new report has revealed that CIA drone attacks on Pakistan's tribal belt have led to far more deaths than previously mentioned.
Research by the London-based, Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that the US drone strikes have killed up to 168 children in Pakistan over the last seven years.
It says just over four percent of the nearly 2900 people killed in the drone attacks have been militants.
It reports the CIA has carried out 291 drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004 - a figure eight percent higher than in previous research.
Over 80-percent of all strikes have been carried out under the Obama administration. This breaks down to one strike every four days.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Naveed Ahmad, a defense and diplomacy analyst from Islamabad, to further talk over the issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview:
Press TV: The US drone war is killing 168 Pakistani children since 2004 and the number is growing but nobody is being held accountable for these deaths. Who do you think should be held accountable?
Ahmad: First of all Pakistani government and the complacent government of Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister who have sole responsibility of protecting the citizens under the constitution and the elected government. They give a damn about the situation and relations with United States and accesses of United States are being seen as synonymous.
The more freedom United States and its operatives have in Pakistan is being seen as an increasing sign of good relations which is totally contradicted to what the people think in the street and Obama administration as we're seeing internationally as well, his popularity has come down to about 22 percent and Bush never came down this low.
So it is exemplary that he is unable to hold the grip of popularity within the country and internationally as well and any survey or any measure of bridge building or image building for Mr. Obama would not work until and unless he understands that this war that he's fighting is losing and he's not our president.
He's here to clear the mess and look what happened a few days ago in Afghanistan just today six more soldiers and a lot of other casualties are going to be there and this is the way they are strengthening Taliban and this is the way they're strengthening Pakistani militants as well .
We have seen twin attacks by two female suicide bombers, a new phenomena altogether after relatively calm weeks in Pakistan and in Peshawar city.
So we're all paying the cost and Mr. Obama and his defense establishment is just not caring about any civil or humanitarian laws.
Press TV:Well there is one side the Pakistani government you say cooperating with the US and the Obama administration but there is also the international community that has been no reaction by specially the United Nations. Does that mean they're condoning the deaths of innocent Pakistani civilians including the women and children? Well it is about killing militants the US is saying but at what cost?
Ahmad:Well as far as international condemnation is concerned it is generally given that whatever information is coming from these tribal regions is coming from international sources which are unnamed and all these unnamed sources put the figure as Islamic militants killed in this part or that part and this figure or this study is very important and crucial to underline the fact that whatever wide services or television channels are reporting about one country or the other does not really reflect the reality, and this in-depth study that has been carried out in the UK really reflects the weakness of Pakistani journalist and international journalism.
As far as the international community is concerned there is so much happening in the Arab world and the international community is so quiet and we do need to understand that we cannot pass the bug on until and unless Pakistani government does not take a strong position, they do not put their foot down, we do not expect anybody else to come and rescue us and this is true for everybody.
AHK/JR
Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:28PM GMT
PressTV - 'Obama responsible for drone strikes'
Interview with Naveed Ahmad, Defense & Diplomacy Analyst
A new report has revealed that CIA drone attacks on Pakistan's tribal belt have led to far more deaths than previously mentioned.
Research by the London-based, Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that the US drone strikes have killed up to 168 children in Pakistan over the last seven years.
It says just over four percent of the nearly 2900 people killed in the drone attacks have been militants.
It reports the CIA has carried out 291 drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004 - a figure eight percent higher than in previous research.
Over 80-percent of all strikes have been carried out under the Obama administration. This breaks down to one strike every four days.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Naveed Ahmad, a defense and diplomacy analyst from Islamabad, to further talk over the issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview:
Press TV: The US drone war is killing 168 Pakistani children since 2004 and the number is growing but nobody is being held accountable for these deaths. Who do you think should be held accountable?
Ahmad: First of all Pakistani government and the complacent government of Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister who have sole responsibility of protecting the citizens under the constitution and the elected government. They give a damn about the situation and relations with United States and accesses of United States are being seen as synonymous.
The more freedom United States and its operatives have in Pakistan is being seen as an increasing sign of good relations which is totally contradicted to what the people think in the street and Obama administration as we're seeing internationally as well, his popularity has come down to about 22 percent and Bush never came down this low.
So it is exemplary that he is unable to hold the grip of popularity within the country and internationally as well and any survey or any measure of bridge building or image building for Mr. Obama would not work until and unless he understands that this war that he's fighting is losing and he's not our president.
He's here to clear the mess and look what happened a few days ago in Afghanistan just today six more soldiers and a lot of other casualties are going to be there and this is the way they are strengthening Taliban and this is the way they're strengthening Pakistani militants as well .
We have seen twin attacks by two female suicide bombers, a new phenomena altogether after relatively calm weeks in Pakistan and in Peshawar city.
So we're all paying the cost and Mr. Obama and his defense establishment is just not caring about any civil or humanitarian laws.
Press TV:Well there is one side the Pakistani government you say cooperating with the US and the Obama administration but there is also the international community that has been no reaction by specially the United Nations. Does that mean they're condoning the deaths of innocent Pakistani civilians including the women and children? Well it is about killing militants the US is saying but at what cost?
Ahmad:Well as far as international condemnation is concerned it is generally given that whatever information is coming from these tribal regions is coming from international sources which are unnamed and all these unnamed sources put the figure as Islamic militants killed in this part or that part and this figure or this study is very important and crucial to underline the fact that whatever wide services or television channels are reporting about one country or the other does not really reflect the reality, and this in-depth study that has been carried out in the UK really reflects the weakness of Pakistani journalist and international journalism.
As far as the international community is concerned there is so much happening in the Arab world and the international community is so quiet and we do need to understand that we cannot pass the bug on until and unless Pakistani government does not take a strong position, they do not put their foot down, we do not expect anybody else to come and rescue us and this is true for everybody.
AHK/JR