Feinstein comment on U.S. drones likely to embarrass Pakistan

[sabra]

Source: LA Times

The Predator planes that launch missile strikes against militants are based in Pakistan, the senator says. That suggests a much deeper relationship with the U.S. than Islamabad would like to admit.

Reporting from Washington -- A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an air base in that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counter-terrorism collaboration with the United States.

The disclosure by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land.

At a hearing, Feinstein expressed surprise over Pakistani opposition to the campaign of Predator-launched CIA missile strikes against Islamic extremist targets along Pakistan's northwestern border.

"As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base," she said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-uspakistan13-2009feb13,0,4776260.story

[tekisui]

1. Very interesting....

The Pakistan government tries to play all sides. They publicly condemn the strikes, but seemed to at least know of them before hand. Now, they may have allowed the drones to take off from Pakistani soil? Wow.

[xchrom]

2. tee-hee -- oh my this will go over well. nt

[Xenotime]

3. These things are just coward machines.

Even more proof that the US has no business over there.

[Ex Lurker]

12. Bingo. Go DiFi!

quit bombing those people and let them have their country back.

[ohio2007]

16. keeps fewer boxes containing body bags from coming home

jmo

but I see your side of the coward argument;


“These cowardly actions will not undermine the determination and patience of the pilgrims"
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Gulf%2C+Middle+East+%26+Africa&month=February2009&file=World_News2009021422231.xml


and you have a right to your opinion but
willfully targetting and killing women and children in a road side rest area ? How can you defend that as a choice of targets more honorable?

[Pavulon]

21. so are telescopic sights

war should be fought with tennis rackets?

How is exploding a guy different than choking hm to death with your bare hands. End of day he is still dead.

[Lost in CT]

24. So are guns.... and artilillery... Broadswords for everyone.

Seriously think about it.

[Dr.Phool]

4. Make her Chair of the Lack of Intelligence Committee.

Wouldn't that be classified information?

[Igel]

5. Sure.

Now those targeted by the planes will be looking for where they are and the Americans that are there won't just be targeted because they're Americans but because they're maintaining and launching the planes.

Letting the information out will certainly help the political fight to squelch the flights. It may even make some people who were mad at the US but didn't have people to fight take up arms against the Pak government or be more sympathetic to the school-burners and acid-throwers.

It's almost classified information, leaking it might well endanger Americans, Pakistanis, and Obama's program. I wonder how it helps Feinstein's program, or if it was just a tongue that was wagging so that she could seem important. Of course, it could be grounds for revoking her security clearance. But it won't be.

I expect moderate outrage on the part of few, with lots of people defending her because republicans did it. Such is the moral calculus that partisanship demands: "But *he* did it, too!"

[Hoopla Phil]

7. Yep.

[ohio2007]

13. most likely 'misinformation' since she holds a chair on a related committee

[Hoopla Phil]

6. So what will She do if her intelligence clearance gets revoked?

Major screw up!!!

[cosmicone]

8. Maybe the administration WANTED her to leak this info

to put more pressure on the Paki government!

[closeupready]

9. Another brilliant super secret squirrel strategy from Obama, huh?

:eyes:

[cosmicone]

11. Yep

Obama is going to tie Pakistan up into knots and make it abandon terrorism as official policy while making it work for the money like coolies.

[closeupready]

15. Let it suffice to say that I repeat what I said to you on the other thread.

:) Have a nice night. :rofl:

[Optical.Catalyst]

18. It could very well have been an intentional leak

Or it could have been another 'May Incident' like the one that occurred in June of 1943.

[janx]

19. We can only hope so! n/t

[Barack_America]

10. She'll just get the information from her husband.

:eyes:

[ohio2007]

17. let them eat 'yellow cake'

lol

[rgbecker]

14. Brings up an interesting question: Can the executive branch refuse...

a congressman or senator information because of a "Clearance" issue? If they can, its time to move to Canada.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ohio2007]

22. secrets are comming out

U.S. now sees Iran as pursuing nuclear bomb


In a reversal since a 2007 report, U.S. officials expect the Islamic Republic to reach development milestones this year.
By Greg Miller
February 12, 2009
Reporting from Washington -- Little more than a year after U.S. spy agencies concluded that Iran had halted work on a nuclear weapon, the Obama administration has made it clear that it believes there is no question that Tehran is seeking the bomb.In his news conference this week, President Obama went so far as to describe Iran's "development of a nuclear weapon" before correcting himself to refer to its "pursuit" of weapons capability
snip

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-fg-usiran12-2009feb12,0,3478184.story

I smell June invasion bots busting out all over but they are not running with this leak
:sarcasm:

[one-eyed fat man]

23. Loose Lips Sink Ships

Operational security relies on people having the sense to shut up about info that will put troops in harm's way or compromise investigations. It is incomprhensible that anyone who has no more sense than this be in charge of anything more sophisticated than a broom in the road department.

"This isnt the first time Feinstein has blown a sensitive operation by opening her mouth, either. Californians will recall that Mayor Feinstein called a press conference to discuss the Night Stalker case, a string of violent rapes and murders that terrified the entire state. She divulged previously-confidential information about Richard Ramirez' shoes and gun and on hearing it, Ramirez promptly dumped them into the bay on his way out of town, eliminating key evidence in the case."

http://tinyurl.com/b4s35p