Suspected US missile strike kills 10 in Pakistan
By MUNIR AHMAD – 41 minutes ago
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Missiles fired from a suspected U.S. spy plane killed 10 people Friday in Pakistan just east of the Afghan border, security officials said, the first such strike since the inauguration of President Barrack Obama.
At least five of the dead were identified as foreign militants, an intelligence officer said.
The missile strike on the lawless region where al-Qaida militants are known to hide out is the latest in a barrage of more than 30 since the middle of last year.
Pakistan's pro-U.S. leaders had expressed hope Obama would halt the attacks, which have reportedly killed several top al-Qaida operatives but triggered anger at the government by nationalist and Muslim critics.
Islamabad routinely protests the strikes in the northwest as a violation of the country's sovereignty, but most observers speculate it has an unwritten agreement allowing them to take place, noting it would be highly damaging to be seen as colluding with Washington in attacks on its people.
One drone fired three missiles into the village of Zharki in North Waziristan, hitting two buildings over the space of 10 minutes, the security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
At least 10 people were killed, they said. Their names were not released.
The United States rarely acknowledges firing the missiles, which are mostly fired from drones believed launched from neighboring Afghanistan, but there is little doubt it is responsible.
Washington is pressing Pakistan to crackdown on militants in the border, which it blames for rising attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan as well as violence within Pakistan.
Earlier Friday, a suicide attack and a roadside bomb killed two soldiers and three civilians in the Swat Valley, a one-time tourist destination close to the border region, officials said.
Pakistan has launched military offensives in parts of the northwest , but insurgents are making inroads Swat, blowing up schools, killing police and soldiers and calling for the imposition of a hardline interpretation of Islamic law.
Militancy in Swat is seen as especially dangerous for Pakistan because the valley lies away from the areas where al-Qaida and the Taliban have traditionally operated.
An indication of the difficulties facing the government, more than 1,000 hard-liners demonstrated in the capital, saying there would only be peace in Swat and other frontier regions if the government severs its ties with the United States.
"The lawlessness cannot end until the end of the pro-America policy," one speaker told the crowd gathered close to the Parliament building in Islamabad.
The fact that this occurred under Obama's watch confirms my suspicion that there is an understanding with Pakistan. Basically the U.S. is doing what Pakistan's government would like to do, but cannot for internal reasons. So we do these strikes and Pakistani officials publicly condemn them.
I have to agree that Pakistan fully supports these attacks....privately in the back rooms.
"On Thursday, he (Prez Obama) named former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke a special envoy to both countries, an appointment welcomed by Pakistan's government.
In a statement, the country's foreign office said it "looked forward to enhanced and fruitful engagement with the special envoy to further the cause of peace and stability of the region."
Apparently "enhanced and fruitful engagement" with the envoy means enhanced missiles fired with enhanced imagery into fruitful targets.... with a peaceful head nod from Pakistan.
The only ones who will be unstable...are the ones we are watching from high overhead
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U.S. missle strikes kill 10 in pakistan.
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