Pakistan Security Brief

Ranger sentenced to death for Sarfaraz Shah killing; TBIJ report highlights civilian casualties from drone strikes; U.S. aid to Pakistan could be constrained by debt concerns; Police officials investigated for attending U.S. Consulate Iftar dinner; Gunmen kill police, free militants; TTP claims responsibility for Peshawar female suicide bombing; Journalist abducted in N. Waziristan; FATA MPs to seek FATA province.

 

Sarfaraz Shah Trial

Drone Strikes Report

  • A Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) report on the use of drones in Pakistan claims 385-775 civilians have been killed in alleged CIA drone strikes. The report also says as many as forty-five civilians have been killed in drone strikes so far this year, conflicting with Obama administration counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan’s claim that “the U.S. government has not found credible evidence of collateral deaths resulting from U.S. counterterrorism operations outside of Afghanistan or Iraq.” An anonymous U.S. official doubts the numbers given by TBIJ, explaining that given improvements made in the drone strike process over the years, “it really defies logic that now [the CIA] would start missing all these alleged noncombatant casualties.” According to the New York Times, drone operators watch and analyze the movements of suspected militants for days before they decide they are in fact militants and launch the strike. They do the same after the attack to count and identify the casualties.[ii]

U.S.-Pakistan Relations

Peshawar

FATA



[i] “In Pakistan, Shahid Zafar Is Sentenced to Death In Teenager’s Killings,” NYT, August 12, 2011. Available at
“On Rangers personnel sentenced to death for Sarfaraz killing,” AFP, August 12, 2011. Available at
[ii] “Drone War Expose—the complete picture of CIa strikes in Pakistan,” TBIJ, August 10, 2011. Available at
“CIA Claim of No Civilian Death From Drones Is Disputed,” NYT, August 11, 2011. Available at
[iii] “Budgetary constraints to affect US aid: report,” Dawn, August 12, 2011. Available at
[iv] “IG Punjab seeks explanation from 7 officials on presence at US Consulate dinner,” ET, August 12, 2011.Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/229248/ig-punjab-seeks-explanation-from-7-officials-on-presence-at-us-consulate-dinner/
[v] “Three policemen killed, two militants freed in Peshawar,” ET, August 12, 2011. Available at
[vi] “Pakistani Taliban claim female suicide attack in Peshawar,” August 12, 2011. Available at
[vii] “Senior journalist kidnapped in NWA,” The News, August 12, 2011. Available at
[viii] “Fata province to be formally demanded today,” The News, August 12, 2011. Available at
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