Daily Times

The US counterterrorism operation that led to the killing of an American and an Italian in a covert drone strike in January this year has shocked everyone. An American aid worker Warren Weinstein and an Italian humanitarian Giovanni Lo Porto, who were held hostage at a compound where militants were hidden, came under fire inadvertently by a US drone raid. The US President himself expressed grief over the inadvertent killings and took full responsibility for the mistake. An apology from the US President after a gap of almost three months is questionable. Why so late? The whole episode seems fishy. Could it be that the US was trying to cover up the nasty incident? Reportedly, the news was on the verge of disclosure and the US administration thought it best to pre-empt the development to minimise the damage. The US administration’s reliance on drone operations has increasingly come into question. These air strikes have been going on for years, with an acceleration and intensification since Obama’s taking office. His administration has been reluctant to commit any further American troops abroad. If anything, he has wound down Bush’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while ‘leading from behind’ (using proxies) for the two wars he started in Libya and Syria. He has also continued drone attacks to hunt down al Qaeda in Pakistan and Yemen. The collateral drone casualties have mounted too. But no accountability for such loss of lives has been in evidence. This is not the first time that innocent persons have become the victims of drone strikes that the US claims are carried out after hours of surveillance. It has taken the shape of a scandal for a civilised country and it cannot be allowed to behave like this any more. The concept of precise drone strikes is a myth that needs thorough scrutiny and rectification.

The continuation of drone strikes has lost its justification and become controversial. A country like Pakistan that is a sovereign state, can no longer tolerate such strikes. After all Pakistan itself has launched an offensive against the terrorists in its tribal areas with full force. The US needs to respect the sovereignty of Pakistan and it should bring a complete halt to these controversial air attacks. After the acceptance of flaws in this sort of operation that does not spare even innocents and hostages, the US should stop these killings through drone attacks. Some serious efforts are also needed to rescue all those hostages who are still in the custody of the terrorists. The US should extend a helping hand to the government of Pakistan in capturing terrorists and rescuing the hostages. *