Pakistan's Imran Khan: If Elected, 'I Would Shoot Down US Drones' {audio @ link}

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/10/05-2


Imran Khan, left, and Clive Stafford Smith hold up part of a missile fired by a U.S. drone during a press conference in Islamabad, Oct. 27, 2011. Photo: Getty


n an interview with BBC News this week, Pakistani politician Imran Khan stated that if he were elected as Prime Minister in elections next year, he would opt to shoot down US drones that invade Pakistan, should the US and the international community continue to ignore pleas to stop the fatal strikes in the region.

Khan told BBC that US drone strikes are counterproductive because they have resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, cause great hardship in the country and drive up anti-US sentiment and militant recruitment.

The "vast majority of people killed are civilians or very low level militants," Khan continued.

Khan went on to criticize the "duplicity" of the Pakistani government, who publicly condemns drone attacks, but covertly gives the US approval for the strikes.

[kenny blankenship]

1. But but but doesn't he know that this would be an Act of War ?!?!

That's what an attack on another country's military hardware is by definition. Whereas we are merely killing their civilians.
This Khan person is a bloody savage!

[Igel]

2. Khan likes playing a double game.

While professing to just kick the soccer ball, he's also good at hiding his use of hands.

He looks nice and liberal. But most of his supporters are in two camps: Those who are Islamists and sharply defend Islamic supremacy (which includes the hadood laws and outlying Ahmedism) or those who oppose the elected officials and military because they're jurists. Jurists are a kind of third government bureaucracy, because a judge can independently decide to investigate, subpoena, arrest, and try a person or organization. No prosecutor needed in the process.

There are more Islamist parties. But between Western liberals and the Tulub in FATA there's no question where he lands.

In this case his fingerprints are all over the ball. The easiest way to stop the drones if he wins? Just tell the US to stop launching drones from Pakistani military bases and other Pak soil. The hidden message? That he'd be firmly in charge of the military, whatever the generals might think, because he wouldn't be firing a single gun, the military would be pulling the trigger.

Plays well to the pro-Tulub Islamists; plays well to the anti-military/anti-political establishment jurists.

[cbrer]

3. Politics in Pakistan

Khan pleases the electorate with this verbage knowing that it's nonsensical pandering, (sound familiar?).

Pakistan lacks the technology to knock down drones. They're small, fast, and highly maneuverable. Plus their defensive weapons come (mostly) from the USA.

But it sure sounds good to "voters".