8/14/2019 New Drone Assault Knocks US-Pakistan Relations

1/2

New Drone Assault Knocks US-Pakistan Relations

By Zachary Fillingham* !DN-!nDe"th News#iew"oint

$%R%N$% &!DN' - US (rone strikes ha)e long een a sticking "oint in US-Pakistan relations+$o the %ama a(ministration, they are a key tool in the ight against terrorism, e)i(ent in the

)arious high-ranking comman(ers they.)e eliminate( rom the regional militancy e/uation+ $o!slamaa(, howe)er, they re"resent a reach o state so)ereignty, an( their ten(ency to killci)ilians ser)es to un(ermine go)ernment writ in Pakistan.s trial territories+

! (rone strikes are the crack running along the e(iice o US-Pakistan relations, then US ai(is the "laster use( to mask it+ $he %ama a(ministration /uietly resume(a 01+2 illionmilitary ai( "ackage to Pakistan last month &%ctoer 3415'+ %n hol( since the 3411 %samaBin 6a(en rai(, the resum"tion suggeste( that Pakistan.s new Nawa7 Shari a(ministrationwoul( (eer ack to the ol( (ynamic o 8US strikes, Pakistan con(emns9 with regar(s to theissue o e:traterritorial (rone strikes+

An( it might ha)e (one ;ust that i not or a case o "oor timing+ 6ast week &No)emer 3,3415', ater our years o trying, the US manage( to killashington Post+ $he memo in /uestion outline( tacit coo"eration rom "astPakistani go)ernments on US (rone strikes within Pakistan+

All this ser)es to increase the "otential se)erity o (i"lomatic allout rom the

8/14/2019 New Drone Assault Knocks US-Pakistan Relations

2/2

(uring "eace talks or not, the en( result is the same >ashington elie)es that Pakistanshoul( e ighting, not talking, with militants in its trial regions+

%icials in !slamaa( can thus con(emn the allacy o US oreign "olicy all they want, ut itwon.t change the act that time is now nee(e( or the $$P to come ack to the negotiatingtale, an( this interme(iate "erio( will likely e marke( y a wa)e o re"risal attacks withinPakistan+

Some me(ia outlets ha)e suggeste(that the