Obama airstrikes kill 22 in Pakistan

[BunkerHill24]

Islamabad is the first to get a taste of the president’s ‘tough love’ policy

Sarah Baxter in Washington

PAKISTAN received an early warning of what the era of “smart power” under President Barack Obama will look like after two remote-controlled US airstrikes killed 22 people at suspected terrorist hideouts in the border area of Waziristan.

There will be no let-up in the military pressure on terrorist groups, US officials warned, as Obama prepares to launch a surge of 30,000 troops in neighbouring Afghanistan. It is part of a “tough love” policy combining a military crack-down with diplomatic initiatives.

The Pakistani government, which received a visit from General David Petraeus, the chief of US Central Command, on the day of Obama’s inauguration, has been warned that it must step up its efforts against militants if it is to continue to receive substantial military aid from America.

The airstrikes were authorised under a covert programme approved by Obama, according to a senior US official. It was a dramatic signal in the president’s first week of office that there will be no respite in the hunt for Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5581084.ece

[Buzz Clik]

1. No surprises here. Or changes.

Bush adopted this policy shortly after Obama announced it over a year ago.

[BunkerHill24]

2. My question is; how many innocents were killed under such policy?

[Buzz Clik]

3. I have no idea.

[LynnTheDem]

4. All of them.

Unless that old dictum "presumed innocent" is just quaint nowadays.

[BunkerHill24]

5. killing innocent people living in poverty will not make America look tough...that's for sure!

[Dhalgren]

6. I see that the new President has no qualms

about killing civilians. Now that's "change" you can taste! :puke:

[acmavm]

7. During the ca,mpaign Obama was very up front and open about the

way we need to deal with Pakistan. He never tried to sugar coat or fudge about anything in this area.

Which makes me just say BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And now people are bitching? Was no one paying attention?

[BunkerHill24]

9. so its okay to sugarcoat killing innocents on campaign promises?

yeah, that's change we can believe in!

[acmavm]

10. Oh don't be needlessly stupid. Of course it's not okay. It's just that people who are

pretending to be aghast are either people who didn't pay any friggin' attention or they were Obamabots who thought the guy was going to be their liberal savior.

What's you suggestion? How do you think we should deal with Al Q?

Did you get a message from Osama saying he wants to make up and be BFF? Because unless you have a peace offering there in your hot little hands, or if you have a better idea, then you need to spit it out.

Civilian casualties are NEVER acceptable. But they're part of war. Let Pakistan show that they are serious about rooting out these terrorists (because they ARE just that), and maybe NATO won't have be take care of the business that the Pakistan government should be handling.

edit: I made a remark that was uncalled for and I'm sorry.

[ClayZ]

8. Mercy NOW!

What is the purpose of a Bayonet?
TO KILL WITHOUT MERCY!
TO KILL WITHOUT MERCY!


That is a Chant my ex husband learned in boot camp in 1969.

They Screamed it as they marched, over and over again.


Mercy NOW by Mary Gauthier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIThAxVzEeQ

The Whole World could USE A LITTLE MERCY NOW!