Pakistan says 3% of drone deaths civilians

[jsr]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/31/pakistan-done-deaths/3322539/

Pakistan says 3% of drone deaths civilians
Sebastian Abbot and Munir Ahmed, Associated Press
4:06 a.m. EDT October 31, 2013

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistani government said Wednesday that 3% of 2,227 people killed in U.S. drone strikes since 2008 were civilians, a surprisingly low figure that sparked criticism from groups that have investigated deaths from the attacks.

The number, which was provided by the Ministry of Defense to the Senate, is much lower than past government calculations and estimates by independent organizations that have gone as high as 300. The ministry said 317 drone strikes have killed 2,160 Islamic militants and 67 civilians since 2008.

The attacks, which mainly target suspected Islamic militants near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, are widely unpopular in Pakistan because they are viewed as violating the country's sovereignty and killing too many civilians. The Pakistani government regularly criticizes the drone program in public, even though it is known to have secretly supported at least some of the strikes in the past.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pressed President Barack Obama to end the attacks in a visit to the White House last week, but the U.S. considers the attacks vital to its battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban and gave no indication it was willing to abandon them.

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http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/19/politics/u-s-pakistan-aid/

U.S. releases $1.6 billion in aid to Pakistan
By David Simpson, CNN
updated 5:21 PM EDT, Sat October 19, 2013

(CNN) -- The Obama administration has decided to release more than $1.6 billion in aid to Pakistan, a senior administration official said.

The official told CNN foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott that the decision was made because of improved relations over the past year.

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Of course, there is no relationship between the $1.6 billion and the 3% figure.

[WonderGrunion]

1. Pakistan also said that Osama bin Laden wasn't there

So I take any report from their government with a grain of salt.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. My stomach knots at the thought of Obama paying to cover-up the death of innocents. n/t

[seveneyes]

3. How many innocents would the 2,160 dead Islamic militants have murdered if they were not targeted?

And how many innocents would be spared if Islamic terrorists were not allowed to run rampant in their host countries? It's no secret that some countries allow Islamic teachings that nurture kids to grow up to be terrorists. It's also no surprise that teaching hate creates students that hate.

[hobbit709]

4. I remember when any dead Vietnamese peasant in black pajamas was a VC.