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Ineffectiveness of Drone Strikes in FATA
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Visits 51
June 29, 2012
Drone strikes in Pakistani tribal areas have played havoc with the lives of common people. More than 2,843 people lost their lives and hundreds got injured in more than 300 drone strikes from 2004-2012. American officials have claimed to kill high profile militants in FATA, but they never accepted responsibility for deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The question is not of legality or illegality of these target killings, the question is whether they are productive or not. So far, these drone strikes have proven to be counter productive because of a number of reasons. Killing of one figurehead does not mean that Al-Qaeda, TTP or any other militant group is neutralized. We have seen multifold increase in violence after the death of Baitullah Mehsud, the TTP Commander. AL-Qaeda is also intact, not only in Afghanistan but also in other parts of the world. Violence in Afghanistan has also increased in last few years. Anti-Americanism has also increased dramatically in Pakistan. So what is the objective behind drone strikes? According to US claims, drone strikes are highly productive against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, but in reality, America is losing this war against terror slowly and gradually.

Most of the people in tribal areas and Afghanistan are against US drone strikes because these strikes have killed many innocent civilians. Unprovoked drone strikes have helped militants get recruits for their fight against Pakistan army and US-led alliance in Afghanistan.

According to the article 2/4 of International law, drone strikes are illegal if carried out against the consent of Pakistani leaders. Here is some confusion; according to WikiLeaks and some US officials, Pakistani leaders have okayed drone strikes in FATA. This is the reason that Pakistan government has never taken this issue to ICJ or UNSC. Clarity is required by America and Pakistan over this issue. Now a days, Pakistani politicians and military high command condemn drone strikes because most of the people in Pakistan disapprove it.

The United States maintained that it is carrying out these drone strikes in self defence according to the article-51 of the International Law. But when it is asked to issue details of this programme and the list of those killed, then it says it is classified and never discloses anything. America has never accepted responsibility for civilian casualties in Pakistan.

The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings or arbitrary executions told a conference in Geneva that President Obama's attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere, carried out by the CIA, would encourage other states to flout long-established human rights standards. In his strongest critique so far of drone strikes, he suggested some may even constitute "war crimes". This issue is getting world wide attention now; recently China and Russia have also condemned drone strikes inside Pakistan. In 17 of 20 countries surveyed by Pew Global, more than half respondents disapproved of US drone attacks targeting extremist leaders and groups in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. According to the ACLU estimates, as many as 4,000 people have been killed in US drone strikes from 2002-2012 in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and it is a possibility that most of the people killed in these countries were innocent civilians.

In international humanitarian law, targeted killings are sanctioned in armed conflict. In principle, they can only be used as long as there is evidence of a serious threat in a conflict situation and where no other solution is available. But theater of war is in Afghanistan not in Pakistan, and the US has a mandate to carry out strikes in Afghanistan not in Pakistani tribal areas. Escalation of drone strikes in FATA has destabilized Pakistan and people of these areas are getting against Pakistan army and government because they suspect that Pakistan is part of drone strategy against people of tribal areas.

The Amnesty International, in its statement, said that the drone attacks “disregard human rights law” and that “the carrying out of killings …. represents a fundamental challenge to the whole international system for the protection of human rights.” The UNHRC investigator, Philip Alston, has also questioned US drone strikes inside FATA. He criticized the US’s refusal to respond to date to the United Nation’s concerns. On June 2, 2010, Alston’s team released a report based on its investigation into drone strikes and criticized the US for being, ‘the most prolific user of targeted killings’ in the world. However the US government has asked a federal court to reject lawsuits demanding the release of documents on CIA drone strikes targeting suspected militants abroad, labeling it as classified.

Pentagon Chief Leon Panetta has also maintained that the US would continue to attack al Qaeda in Pakistan despite complaints from Islamabad that the drone strikes violate its sovereignty. He said we have made it very clear that we are going to continue to defend ourselves. This policy would further jeopardize relationship between Pakistan and the US. It would plunge Pakistan into instability and turmoil. America has to end its use of force policy because use of unprovoked force has proven to be counter productive.

There is a need of increased transparency and accountability regarding drone strikes inside Pakistani tribal areas. All countries must play their due role in strengthening international law and work for global peace and security.

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