(Let
us discuss why the Americans are preferring drones over other strategies. They
are without pilots so no threat to US soldiers?): Muhammad Arif
Khan
Baba
Very
obvious, long range missiles are very expensive and comparatively less
accurate. Not possible to use Air force due to hidden deal with Pakistan. Hence
drones are more effective, accurate and most appropriate according to the
situation.
Muhammad
Arif
Drones
are effective to a certain extent and are focused on a certain territory. What
else are they using against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda?
Bacha
Khan
Drones
are the most effective weapons against Taliban. Collateral damage is very
limited as compared to a suicide bomber. I still fail to understand how come
Imran Khan convinced his enlightened youth that it is drones that are the cause
of all trouble. 50000 thousand deaths in suicide attacks become insignificant
before drones which r killing Taliban and only limited (unfortunate) civilian
casualties.
Muhammad
Arif
But
Drones are effective to a certain extent and are focused on a certain
territory.
Khan
Baba
What
do you mean by “to a certain extent and territorial focus”?
Khan
Baba
Bacha
Khan, I dont agree that drones are also killing innocents. Drones are very
accurate and follow the sim/chip which is being placed by an agent or source.
Those children and women shown in the media are not innocent, because
terrorists are provided shelter by the families in their houses, when drones
strike, then it also takes the children and women residing in the same
house/compound.
Muhammad
Arif
“To
a certain extent” means that they largely fail to break the networks, pose
greater damage to the command and control systems and target the foot soldiers
in greater numbers. By “territorial focus” means that they are mostly focused
on Wazristan or we have seen some lately in Orakzai.
Khan
Baba (Smiling)
I agree to the first part but then every
weapon has its own disadvantage, US can’t use atomic bomb to achieve the aim
you mentioned. About territorial restriction, I think it is the part of the
deal with Pakistan and not a limitation of the weapon.
Muhammad
Arif
Isn't it a very stupid deal on the part of the
US?
Khan
Baba
How?
Deal restrictions are from Pakistan side and not from US. Do you think Pakistan
should give US open hand to strike drones anywhere in Pakistan?
Muhammad
Arif
As a
matter of territorial sovereignty Pakistan should not have given the US any
hand at all. But as a “deal” is there I
am looking at it from the US perspective.
Khan
Baba
I
think deal is there. As per my opinion there are many Taliban in Quetta and surrounding
areas but there is no drones here. Sometime back, US wanted to use drones in Baluchistan
which was rejected by Pakistan. Hence it is very obvious that deal is there and
deal is restricted to some areas only.
Muhammad
Arif
So
the question is still there. Wasn't it a
very stupid “deal” on the part of the US?
Muhammad
Arif
Let
me change the question a bit. Why the US remained complacent with this strategy
for the last so many years?
Khan
Baba (Smiling)
Something
is better than nothing. Striking drones inside a sovereign country is not minor
issue. US has got Pakistan's permission to strike drones in FATA is big
achievement, I don’t think, there is any other country in the world who granted
any such permission to an outsider.
Muhammad
Arif
This
is something very important. I can see a design in this. It is not as simple as
we made a fool of them and they remained complacent with whatever they got.
Muhammad
Arif
I
think Drones are not used as a strategy. It is rather more tactical. The
strategy is something else. Now can you guess what might be the possible
strategy?
Khan
Baba
But
to me they already got a lot from drones. In addition to testing their new
weapon in future warfare, they almost eliminated Al-Qaida from FATA and
Afghanistan.
Muhammad
Arif
Primarily
Drones are used to check and improve the technology. This is the best way to
check and improve and get excellence in this technology by directly using it in
the war-field for years. Now the US will be having a more sophisticated version
of this technology.
Omar
Usman
Arif
you are right. Drones have two perspectives. One is achieving their political
agenda. The second which is of more use to them, is that drones are a research
tool in extending and perfecting the next generation of unmanned warfare
equipments which will include ground vehicles, aerial, sea vehicles, and
eventually robots!!! And no this is not some secret DoD program, surprisingly
most of this is open research.
Muhammad
Arif
The
possible strategy looks more horrible. From the Durand Line to Kashmire, from
Kashmire to the Arabian Sea and then to the Durand Line again the trapezoid is in
big trouble. It is under threat from the terrorists or the enemy within besides
so many other chronic problems. Thanks to our omniscient, omnipresent and
God-fearing generals (Musharaf and his crew) for signing a deal with the
Mephistopheles![i]
P.s:
Thanks to Khan Baba and others for such a nice chat.
good one arif
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