US drone missiles kill 25 people in Pakistan tribal area home

[Bluebear]

U.S. drones fired 10 missiles at a house in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border on Friday, killing at least 25 people, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strike came a day after Pakistan's army chief denounced such attacks, and could further sour already deteriorating relations between Washington and Islamabad.

Also Friday, hundreds of militants attacked a checkpoint in a northwest Pakistani district along the border overnight and into the morning hours, killing 14 security troops, officials said — a show of insurgents' continued strength despite army offensives against them.

The latest U.S. missiles hit Spinwam village in North Waziristan, a tribal region home to Islamist militants that target American and NATO troops in Afghanistan. The three intelligence officials said civilians were believed to be among the dead, and that several people also were wounded. The reported death toll was relatively high for an American missile strike.

The U.S. rarely acknowledges the CIA-run missile program, meaning the usual sources for the confirmation of strikes are Pakistani intelligence officials, who speak on condition of anonymity because they do not have permission to speak to the media. That information from the region is nearly impossible to verify independently. The area is remote, rugged and dangerous, and access to it is legally restricted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110422/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

[Mimosa]

1. Are *WE* 'making friends' over there yet?

I believe the OIL WARS are making 'U.S' the same kind of lasting 'friendships' which Europe reaped from their series of Crusades.

[The Northerner]

2. +100

[sabrina 1]

3. I agree, and we are so arrogant we don't seem to care.

Have you seen that we are now going to send these drones to Libya? Check out this OP I put up earlier http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x936872

I wonder how many more enemies we will make after slaughtering yet more civilians in another oil producing country?

We have no money for the working class here, but lots of money to start a third war.

[Mimosa]

31. K&R for Easter contemplation.

I strongly believe human beings who have developed what's called a conscience can alert and lead our fellow humans away from the cycles of violence. Street violence, violence in homes and schools, is rationalised because we as a nation collectively celebrate violence as entertainment. Yes, we can enjoy sports. But sportsmanship in the past did not countenance the fights.

The price of not stopping violence against each other, against other nations, is a future of deaths and the USA being despised by most other nations. Our media has ceased to report the deaths of our military and civilian contractors. The same media outlets seldom if ever report the deaths of civilians and resistance fighters in Arabic/Muslim nations. As Easter approaches, I mourn.

[daleo]

4. Well saving civilian lives only matters in certain countries

Like Libya. In other countries, they are collateral damage. It all depends on something or other.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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

[Violet_Crumble]

6. I think it speaks volume that this thread sinks with little comment...

...while a thread about the possibility of dog ownership being banned in Iran inspires outrage and lots of comments. :shrug:

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. At least it just shows that people, like dogs, can be well-trained

I had my doubts about people being skilled enough to learn a trick, but hey..

[inna]

15. the US is fast becoming (has become?) a pretty scary, sick, horrid place.

the (general) complacency of the American people is our ultimate downfall; every nation deserves its rulers, after all, n'est pas? :shrug:

i'll go as far as to say that the American people (in general) are one of THE most brainwashed and successfully propagandized societies in history of humanity.

not all of us are complacent, though, trust me on this. :hi: (you're an Aussie, aren't you? must be surreal and morbidly fascinating to watch us from the distance, lol. at least that's what my European/non-American friends think, in general...)

[truth2power]

19. Several possible reasons for that, Violet...

When reading about the drone attacks, I, like many others, I'm sure, feel a sense of dismay and helplessness.

It seems like it's all been said, over and over again. Many Americans have raged against this policy, but the carnage goes on, and Pres. Obama doesn't even bother to defend or explain the policy, seeming to be, somehow, a disinterested party.

In fact, he seems to consider drone attacks as useful material for a stand-up comedy routine, i.e., minimizing the horror by the little joke about the Jonas Brothers and his girls. Har de har har. So what is left to us is just to sigh. Or weep.

Furthermore, that pic, upthread, of Obama accepting the Nobel Peace Prize just confuses me all to hell. Whatever was the Nobel committee thinking? What is the back-story on that? I'd really like to know. Pondering that, I'm led to believe that some of what I've read, elsewhere, about reasons for Obama's actions has merit. But the aforementioned can't be discussed. So there you go.

We have no say. No one represents us. :cry:

[Bluebear]

23. It's OK when a Democrat does it.

:(

[Ignis]

29. +1

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. Coming soon to a Libyan village near you!

[inna]

16. :edit: to a Libyan wedding near you! (morbid humor, nt)

[readmoreoften]

25. +10000

[Alamuti Lotus]

33. hey, good to see you around again

[slipslidingaway]

9. knr nt

[inna]

10. 2000 civilians killed by drones in 2009 alone.

uh, raising standards for Nobel peace prize winners everywhere.

[inna]

11. while the ony thing that keeps growing is military budget and (already rampant) income inequality.

:wtf:

seriousy, :wtf:, Obama, people???!!!

:nuke:

[themadstork]

28. Do you have a link for that number? I'd like to share it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. When does Afghanistan/Pakistan get a no-fly zone to protect civilians?

[Gravel Democrat]

14. ouch

[Bluebear]

22. !

[readmoreoften]

24. +1000000

[FlyByNight]

13. The beatings will continue until morale improves

And the MICC marches on...

:puke:

[Bigmack]

17. We need to start assigning numbers...

to specific posts we want to post on DU..... it's save a lot of keystrokes.

I propose #43 for the post we all want to make about US drones killing innocents. It would stand for "WTF is wrong with this country.. why are we there... why do we continue to kill kids...????" Like that.

43.....43!.....FUCKING 43!!

We'll probably use that number a lot.

[GeorgeGist]

18. The Audacity ...

[FormerDittoHead]

20. Good to know we "MUST" pay for THOSE things and not "privileges" like HEALTH CARE. n/t

[L0oniX]

21. Those US drones are civilian magnets. They should practice on the broad side of a red barn first.

[Kurovski]

26. K&R

The photo is a wry touch.

[laruemtt]

27. all we're doing is guaranteeing

that we get hit again...................

[Kurovski]

30. Kick. (nt)

[Bluebear]

32. Peace!

:puke: