U.S. officials pushing for drone attacks on major Pakistani city.

[cali]

A week after news that the White House had pushed Pakistan to do more to crack down on the Taliban, it was reported U.S. officials are hoping to ramp up that pressure by expanding CIA drone strikes beyond Pakistan's border regions and into a major city.

Unmanned drones have been carrying out attacks in Pakistan's tribal region on the border with Afghanistan. But many insurgent leaders are based in Quetta, further inland, and the U.S. says Pakistan isn't doing enough to go after them. Certain officials, including military leaders, say carrying out Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta is the most effective way to cut off the Taliban's power structure, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Some White House officials are worried that expanding the drone strikes into a city of 850,000, or even threatening to do so, could upset Washington's relationship with Islamabad, according to the Times. Other officials believe pursuing insurgents in Pakistan should be a key strategy in the war in Afghanistan.

"If we don't do this -- at least have a real discussion of it -- Pakistan might not think we are serious," a senior U.S. official involved in war planning told the paper. "What the Pakistanis have to do is tell the Taliban that there is too much pressure from the U.S.; we can't allow you to have sanctuary inside Pakistan anymore."


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http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/14/u-s-officials-push-for-drone-attacks-deeper-into-pakistan/

[Fumesucker]

1. Sounds like some people are really afraid we're going to run out of militants who hate us..

Striking in a major Muslim city would be a good way of generating lots of new recruits for Al Qaeda.. In fact I'm having a hard time thinking of a better way.

[rfranklin]

2. Not to mention that it is an act of war on an "ally"

This is insane. Can you imagine if Canada shot missiles into Detroit to kill some separatists?