US Missile Strikes in Pakistan

[Irish Caesar]

Meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Seventeen people were killed Friday evening in two U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal region, said one government and two military officials.

They are the first such strikes since President Obama took office Tuesday.

Both hits were near the Afghan border, said local political official Nasim Dawar. The Pakistani military sources asked not to be named because they are not authorized to release such information.

The first strike, which killed 10 people, occurred about 5:15 p.m. (7:15 a.m. ET) in a village near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, the officials said. Seven people died in the second hit at 7:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. ET) near Wana, the major town in South Waziristan, 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Afghanistan, they said.

There has been no immediate response from U.S. officials.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/23/pakistan.missile/index.html

Didn't we just elect this guy because he said he'd talk to other countries instead of bombing them?

 

[Dachs]

Didn't we just elect this guy because he said he'd talk to other countries instead of bombing them?

Nah, McCain was the one who took the position of not actually wanting to go cross-border in Pakistan to kill crap. This is exactly in line with what Obama's platform was during the election.

 

[Mowque]

Nah, McCain was the one who took the position of not actually wanting to go cross-border in Pakistan to kill crap. This is exactly in line with what Obama's platform was during the election.

What he said....So even if you don't agree, Obama said he would do exactly this...

 

[GoodGame]

Meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss.



Didn't we just elect this guy because he said he'd talk to other countries instead of bombing them?

Obama's stated stance on Pakistan is to demand more from them as our allies with regards to the war on terror. I guess we just helped them.

 

[Communisto]

Meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss.

Only a fool would expect anything different.

Government is the Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich scenario, except in this case the Giant Douche comes in a different colour.

 

[Dachs]

Only a fool would expect anything different.

Government is the Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich scenario, except in this case the Giant Douche comes in a different colour.

The vicious General I. Zation strikes again!

 

[Communisto]

The vicious General I. Zation strikes again!

Another day, another conquest. Mwahaha

 

[Labtec600]

One of the issues I agree with Obama on.

Earlier news story I read on this said 8 insurgents and 2 Al-Qaeada members were amongst them. This was stated by Pakistani Security forces.

 

[Formaldehyde]

So I guess this is another case of Obama keeping his campaign promise?

 

[Dachs]

So I guess this is another case of Obama keeping his campaign promise?

Yeah dude put it on the List.

 

[general_kill]

This is ridiculous, any word on whether the people who died are civilians or not?

 

[Formaldehyde]

Is it too late to switch my vote to McCain?

 

[Irish Caesar]

Nah, McCain was the one who took the position of not actually wanting to go cross-border in Pakistan to kill crap. This is exactly in line with what Obama's platform was during the election.

I do remember that, and it was one of the "second tier" reasons I voted the way I did.

Only a fool would expect anything different.

Government is the Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich scenario, except in this case the Giant Douche comes in a different colour.

Not that I expected anything different... but if the guy runs on diplomacy with the "DPR"K, Iran, fewer troops in Iraq, more dialogue with everyone about everything... why single out Pakistan? I guess I just don't understand it; they have a government that doesn't hate us already.

As a side note, on the visual there.

 

[Communisto]

Not that I expected anything different... but if the guy runs on diplomacy with the "DPR"K, Iran, fewer troops in Iraq, more dialogue with everyone about everything... why single out Pakistan? I guess I just don't understand it; they have a government that doesn't hate us already.

As a side note, on the visual there.

I guess something to do with Mumbai? Isn't Pakistan like an Al-Qaeda petrie dish anyways?

 

[bippukt]

I guess something to do with Mumbai? Isn't Pakistan like an Al-Qaeda petrie dish anyways?

It probably is. But I don't think that it had anything to do with Mumbai. The US looks after its interests first of all, and then goes for nice stuff like democracy, friendly relations etc.

I think that the US is doing it because the Pakistani military (specifically the Army, which has the ultimate power in the country, the democracy be damned) is either unwilling or unable to strike at the roots of the Al-Qaida/ Taliban in the western parts of Pakistan. What Obama is saying is - look, you promised to help us in this war, and we have given billions of dollars to you in return for it. But now I am going to make sure that if you won't do it yourself, the US will do it. We will multiply the aid given to you several times, but in return you will have to prove to us that you are sincere.

That's how I see it anyway

EDIT - I might add that some of the western parts of Pakistan are in chaos - some might call it localized civil war. Search specifically for Swat valley and see how the Taliban is issuing religious "fatwas" a la Afghanistan and how they have blown up hundreds of schools so far. That country is in serious trouble!

 

[amadeus]

Hey. Obama did promise during the campaign to attack Pakistan.

Nah, McCain was the one who took the position of not actually wanting to go cross-border in Pakistan to kill crap. This is exactly in line with what Obama's platform was during the election.

Oh damn it, I'm always late to the party.

 

[sonorakitch]

Didn't we just elect this guy because he said he'd talk to other countries instead of bombing them?

For some reason Obama is fixated on Pakistan. He is on record saying Pakistan represents the greatest threat to regional stability...and he's right.

This move, based off the rhetoric during the campaign, doesn't surprise me at all...

~Chris

 

[Bill3000]

Nah, McCain was the one who took the position of not actually wanting to go cross-border in Pakistan to kill crap. This is exactly in line with what Obama's platform was during the election.

You sure McCain actually said that he didn't want this? I just remember him saying that "you don't say that stuff out loud."

 

[Dachs]

You sure McCain actually said that he didn't want this? I just remember him saying that "you don't say that stuff out loud."

I dimly remember people saying that he was just opposing it because he was supposed to be differentiating his position from Obama's at every turn, and that it's not really something that he would normally support. Then again, I tried (and failed) to erase those campaigns from my already-faulty memory, so I'm probably wrong.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I personally am glad this happened, if it truly did kill terrorists or insurgents.

All the facts and stuff aside, I'm more eager to see the growing divide in the left and right camps... right-wingers may like Obama more since he actually attacked(actions speak louder than words on the campaign trail, as all Presidents show), while the pacifist left might dislike him a bit more. I'm just going to sit back and watch the little debate grow...

Just my two cents on this, I know my family's approval of Obama just went up a little upon hearing this.