Officials in Washington and Islamabad say they are almost certain that last Wednesday's drone strike killed Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan's most wanted man, although Taliban commanders insist their leader is still alive. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins - via Google News (Pakistan), NewsRack (Pakistan), Google News (World), TechnoratiTo:
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This is close to non-news, with Washington claiming a key Taliban commander killed by drone-missile attack, but Taliban denying it, while Pakistanis remain silent.
Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq said the missile struck a house, not a militant hideout. “Only innocent civilians were living there, and six of them died.”
Regardless of the facts, every missile strike is propaganda fodder for the Taliban.
Missile assassination is expensive and can succeed only if Taliban cannot replace competent leaders as rapidly as they are located, targeted and stricken. And every strike that takes down innocents will alienate the population needed to inform on those targets.