US drones kill 476 civilians, 13 terrorists in 2010
August 19, 2010
LAHORE: The Afghanistan-based American predators have carried out a record number of 50 drone strikes inside the Pakistani tribal belt in the first seven months of the year 2010 [between January and July] to surpass last year’s 45 hits, killing 13 al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked terrorists at the cost of 476 innocent civilians.
According to the data compiled by Pakistani authorities, only 13 of the 50 strikes carried out by the US drones between January 1 and July 31 could hit their actual targets while the remaining 37 attacks went wrong due to faulty intelligence information, thus killing hundreds of civilians, including women and children. On average, the Americans have carried out seven attacks per month and approximately two strikes per week during the last seven months. And for each al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the Americans during this period, 33 civilians also had to die. The success percentage for the drone hits in the first seven months of 2010 thus comes to hardly 26 percent. On average, 68 civilians were killed in each drone attack every month, 17 persons every week and almost two people every day. Most of these attacks were conducted on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly provided by Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who spy for the US-led Allied Forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The escalation of the US predator strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas bordering Afghanistan can be gauged from the fact that these attacks have tripled since January 2009, when Barack Obama took over the Presidency, replacing George Bush. In his first eighteen months in the presidency, Obama has authorized more drone attacks in Pakistan than Bush did till his ouster in December 2008. Compared with the 43 drone strikes carried out by the Bush administration in its last four years in power [between January 2004 and December 2008], which killed 562 people, the Obama administration has already conducted 95 drone attacks since assuming power on January 20, 2009, killing 1205 people.
According to the data compiled by the ministry of interior, 1771 civilians and 48 al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked terrorist have so far been killed in 138 drone strikes carried out by the American predators in the last six years - between January 2004 and July 2010 - averaging 295 civilian killings every year and 13 deaths per attack. The 48 terrorists killed in the drone attacks since 2004 included 15 senior and 20 mid-level al-Qaeda leaders, and five senior and eight mid-level Taliban leaders.
According to the year-wise break-up, five people were killed in one drone attack carried out by the Americans in 2004 while seven more people died in two predator strikes in 2005. The next year - 2006 - a total of 98 people were killed in two drone attacks, while 67 more lost their lives in three attacks in 2007. The next year - 2008 - 385 more people were killed in 34 drone attacks while 720 more people lost their lives in 45 predator strikes conducted by the Americans in the 12 months of 2009. Of the 45 drone attacks conducted last year, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of around 720 innocent civilian lives. And for each al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the American drones, 140 civilian Pakistanis also had to die.
In the first seven months of the year 2010 [between January and July], 489 people have so far been killed in 50 hits, killing 476 civilians and 13 terrorists. Having done so, the Americans have already surpassed the last year’s tally of 45 drone strikes. As far as the 13 successful drone hits of the year 2010 are concerned, which killed an equal number of al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked terrorists; the first one killed Haji Omar Khan, a key Pakistani Taliban leader who was targeted on January 1, 2010. The second attack on January 4, 2010 killed Mansur al Shami, a senior al-Qaeda ideologue. The third strike, which came on January 8, 2010 killed Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, an Abu Nidal Organization operative who had taken part in the killing of 22 hostages during the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am flight 73. The fourth successful attack on January 14, 2010 killed Abdul Basit Usman, a master bomb maker who was wanted by the FBI for conducting attacks that killed dozens of civilians. The fifth hit on February 17, 2010 killed Sheikh Mansoor, an al-Qaeda shadow army commander.
The sixth successful attack carried out by the US drones on February 18, 2010 killed Mohammad Haqqani, a mid-level military commander of the Haqqani militant network and the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The seventh hit on February 24, 2010 killed Qari Zafar, a leader of the al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked Fidayeen-e-Islam, wanted by the Americans for attacking the US Consulate in Karachi in 2006. The eighth such missile strike on March 10, 2010 had killed Saddam Hussein Al Hussami, also known as Ghazwan al Yemeni, a senior al-Qaeda operative who was involved in the December 2009 suicide attack that killed seven CIA officials in Khost, Afghanistan.
The Americans scored their biggest success in their ongoing drone campaign on May 21, 2010 when they killed Sheikh Saeed al Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu Yazid, one of al-Qaeda’s top leaders, who was reportedly handling the terror group’s finances. In the tenth successful drone attack on May 28, 2010, the Americans killed Osama bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Damjan al Dawsari, a senior al-Qaeda operative and a key link with the Pakistan Taliban. The eleventh strike of the current year on June 10, 2010 killed Abu Ibrahim, the operational commander of Fursan-e-Mohammad, an al-Qaeda linked group based in North Waziristan. The twelfth attack on June 10, 2010 killed Sheikh Ehsanullah, an al-Qaeda military commander who conducted operations in Afghanistan. The thirteenth and the last successful drone strike of the current year came on June 19, 2010 killing Abu Ahmed, another al Qaeda military commander.
The majority of the drone attacks have targeted the tribal areas being administered by four key Taliban groups led by Hakeemullah Mehsud, Mullah Nazir, Hafiz Gul Bahadar, and Jalaluddin Haqqani. While Hakeemullah and Mullah Nazir are based in South Waziristan, Haqqani and Gul Bahadar are based in North Waziristan. And the bad news for the civilian population of the Pakistani tribal belt is that the US defence budget for 2011 seeks more funds to enhance drone operations by 75 per cent, citing its success in targeting terrorists in the Pakistani tribal belt.
According to the data compiled by Pakistani authorities, only 13 of the 50 strikes carried out by the US drones between January 1 and July 31 could hit their actual targets while the remaining 37 attacks went wrong due to faulty intelligence information, thus killing hundreds of civilians, including women and children. On average, the Americans have carried out seven attacks per month and approximately two strikes per week during the last seven months. And for each al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the Americans during this period, 33 civilians also had to die. The success percentage for the drone hits in the first seven months of 2010 thus comes to hardly 26 percent. On average, 68 civilians were killed in each drone attack every month, 17 persons every week and almost two people every day. Most of these attacks were conducted on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly provided by Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who spy for the US-led Allied Forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The escalation of the US predator strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas bordering Afghanistan can be gauged from the fact that these attacks have tripled since January 2009, when Barack Obama took over the Presidency, replacing George Bush. In his first eighteen months in the presidency, Obama has authorized more drone attacks in Pakistan than Bush did till his ouster in December 2008. Compared with the 43 drone strikes carried out by the Bush administration in its last four years in power [between January 2004 and December 2008], which killed 562 people, the Obama administration has already conducted 95 drone attacks since assuming power on January 20, 2009, killing 1205 people.
According to the data compiled by the ministry of interior, 1771 civilians and 48 al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked terrorist have so far been killed in 138 drone strikes carried out by the American predators in the last six years - between January 2004 and July 2010 - averaging 295 civilian killings every year and 13 deaths per attack. The 48 terrorists killed in the drone attacks since 2004 included 15 senior and 20 mid-level al-Qaeda leaders, and five senior and eight mid-level Taliban leaders.
According to the year-wise break-up, five people were killed in one drone attack carried out by the Americans in 2004 while seven more people died in two predator strikes in 2005. The next year - 2006 - a total of 98 people were killed in two drone attacks, while 67 more lost their lives in three attacks in 2007. The next year - 2008 - 385 more people were killed in 34 drone attacks while 720 more people lost their lives in 45 predator strikes conducted by the Americans in the 12 months of 2009. Of the 45 drone attacks conducted last year, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of around 720 innocent civilian lives. And for each al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the American drones, 140 civilian Pakistanis also had to die.
In the first seven months of the year 2010 [between January and July], 489 people have so far been killed in 50 hits, killing 476 civilians and 13 terrorists. Having done so, the Americans have already surpassed the last year’s tally of 45 drone strikes. As far as the 13 successful drone hits of the year 2010 are concerned, which killed an equal number of al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked terrorists; the first one killed Haji Omar Khan, a key Pakistani Taliban leader who was targeted on January 1, 2010. The second attack on January 4, 2010 killed Mansur al Shami, a senior al-Qaeda ideologue. The third strike, which came on January 8, 2010 killed Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, an Abu Nidal Organization operative who had taken part in the killing of 22 hostages during the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am flight 73. The fourth successful attack on January 14, 2010 killed Abdul Basit Usman, a master bomb maker who was wanted by the FBI for conducting attacks that killed dozens of civilians. The fifth hit on February 17, 2010 killed Sheikh Mansoor, an al-Qaeda shadow army commander.
The sixth successful attack carried out by the US drones on February 18, 2010 killed Mohammad Haqqani, a mid-level military commander of the Haqqani militant network and the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The seventh hit on February 24, 2010 killed Qari Zafar, a leader of the al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked Fidayeen-e-Islam, wanted by the Americans for attacking the US Consulate in Karachi in 2006. The eighth such missile strike on March 10, 2010 had killed Saddam Hussein Al Hussami, also known as Ghazwan al Yemeni, a senior al-Qaeda operative who was involved in the December 2009 suicide attack that killed seven CIA officials in Khost, Afghanistan.
The Americans scored their biggest success in their ongoing drone campaign on May 21, 2010 when they killed Sheikh Saeed al Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu Yazid, one of al-Qaeda’s top leaders, who was reportedly handling the terror group’s finances. In the tenth successful drone attack on May 28, 2010, the Americans killed Osama bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Damjan al Dawsari, a senior al-Qaeda operative and a key link with the Pakistan Taliban. The eleventh strike of the current year on June 10, 2010 killed Abu Ibrahim, the operational commander of Fursan-e-Mohammad, an al-Qaeda linked group based in North Waziristan. The twelfth attack on June 10, 2010 killed Sheikh Ehsanullah, an al-Qaeda military commander who conducted operations in Afghanistan. The thirteenth and the last successful drone strike of the current year came on June 19, 2010 killing Abu Ahmed, another al Qaeda military commander.
The majority of the drone attacks have targeted the tribal areas being administered by four key Taliban groups led by Hakeemullah Mehsud, Mullah Nazir, Hafiz Gul Bahadar, and Jalaluddin Haqqani. While Hakeemullah and Mullah Nazir are based in South Waziristan, Haqqani and Gul Bahadar are based in North Waziristan. And the bad news for the civilian population of the Pakistani tribal belt is that the US defence budget for 2011 seeks more funds to enhance drone operations by 75 per cent, citing its success in targeting terrorists in the Pakistani tribal belt.
