Obama to ‘Expand Covert War’ in Pakistan

As promised throughout his campaign, the president will continue to expand violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty to commit drone attacks.

AntiWar News – 18 Mar 09:

In the months since he took power, President Barack Obama has escalated the number and severity of drone attacks in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) dramatically. Officials are reportedly no longer satisfied, however, apparently one can only kill so many Wazir tribesmen before setting their sights on bigger game.

Press TV – 18 Mar 09:

Quoting senior administration officials, The New York Times said on Tuesday that two high-level related reports, forwarded to the White House in the recent weeks, had called for broadening ‘the covert war’ beyond the border areas and into the southwestern Pakistan….

Reports, however, indicate that Washington has already put the expansion into effect. Last month, amid increasing Pakistani fatalities from the attacks by suspected US-operated drones, aerial pictures exposed the American personnel controlling surveillance aircraft from Balochistan’s Shamsi airbase.…

An escalated American role is feared to drive the militants further inside Pakistan with the Tuesday report saying that top Taliban heads had now based themselves in the port city of Karachi.

Islamabad, angered by violations of its sovereignty during the border attacks and the civilian death figures, has urged Washington to reconsider the expansion, a Press TV correspondent reported on Wednesday.

“The US drone attacks in tribal areas causing collateral damage. These attacks will affect the cooperation between Islamabad and Washington on the war against terror”, said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmoud Quershi.

UPDATE:

al Jazeera – “US to ‘Expand’ Covert War in Pakistan” – 19 Mar 09 (2:06):