Clinton faces Pakistani anger at Predator attacks

[unhappycamper]

Clinton faces Pakistani anger at Predator attacks
By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer
Oct 30, 6:50 AM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton came face-to-face Friday with Pakistani anger over U.S. aerial drone attacks in tribal areas along the Afghan border, a strategy that U.S. officials say has succeeded in killing key terrorist leaders.

In a series of public appearances on the final day of a three-day visit marked by blunt talk, Clinton refused to discuss the subject, which involves highly classified CIA operations. She would say only that "there is a war going on," and the Obama administration is committed to helping Pakistan defeat the insurgents and terrorists who threaten the stability of a nuclear-armed nation.

Clinton said she could not comment on "any particular tactic or technology" used in the war against extremist groups in the area.

The use of Predator drone aircraft, armed with guided missiles, is credited by U.S. officials with eliminating a growing number of senior terrorist group leaders this year who had used the tribal lands of Pakistan as a haven beyond the reach of U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan.

During an interview broadcast live in Pakistan with several prominent female TV anchors, before a predominantly female audience of several hundred, one member of the audience said the Predator attacks amount to "executions without trial" for those killed.


Rest of article at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CLINTON?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-10-30-00-52-50

[Buzz Clik]

1. I guess the Pakistani public feels they are getting it from both sides:

The terrorists are killing them on the ground, and we're nailing from the air. Our civilian casualities are accidental, but dead is dead.