The US 392nd Drone Strike in Pakistan: A Wake up Call
Shares
ISLAMABAD: May 22, 2016 marked the 392nd US drone strike in Pakistan.
The US drone strike hit Afghan Taliban Commander Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in Ahmed Wal area of Baluchistan Province of Pakistan.
Afghan Taliban Commander Mullah Akhtar Mansoor is confirmed dead in the strike as Pakistan Foreign Office today officially confirmed the death of Afghan Taliban Commander in the drone strike.
This was the most high value US drone strike target till now in Pakistan.
Earlier US has made 391 Drone strikes in Pakistan. Out of which 390 drone strikes were carried out in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. One of the drone strike occurred in Khyber PakhtunKhwa area of Pakistan just adjacent to the FATA.
Out of these 391 drone strikes 280 were made in the North Wattisham Agency of FATA and 80 were made in the South Waziristan Agency of FATA, Pakistan.
However for all practical purposes the May 22 Drone strike against Afghan Taliban Commander Mullah Akhtar Mansoor could be regarded as the first drone strike in the settled areas of Pakistan.
Why Pakistan needs to worry about this drone strike and its impacts are even more than the earlier 391 drone strike.
1. The drone strike was made in the settled area of Pakistan.
2. The drone strike was made with out the consent and the collaboration of the Pakistani intelligence agencies.
3. The drone strike targeted the Afghan Taliban Commander with whom Pakistan had long terms and was involved in the QCG peace process.
4. The rumours are made in the US media that Pakistani intelligence agencies coordinated with the US authorities in this drone strike so as to malign and deteriorate the Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban relations which could spark the back lash of terrorism within Pakistan from Afghan Taliban.
5. The drone strike will weaken Afghan Taliban and the forces like splinter elements of Pakistani Taliban TTP will be strengthened inside the bordering areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan and Pakistan may see the surge in terrorism activities in its territory.
6. The drone strike will weaken Afghan Taliban and simultaneously strengthen ISIS in Afghanistan, Hence Pakistan would be directly under the threat of further terrorism in Pakistan.
7. With the weakening of Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan the pro Indian lobbies would be strengthened in Afghanistan and the notorious NDS-RAW group within Afghanistan would be further strengthened against Pakistan, giving rise to the terrorism in Pakistan.
8. Afghanistan descent into chaos yet again is imminent and the first reaction was seen yesterday with Kabul resonating with the suicide bombings killing at least a dozen Afghanis.
9.Afghan Civil war is further going to push more Refugees to Pakistan and the the return of refuges from Pakistan would be stopped.
10. However the most important aspect of the 392nd Drone strike is that it was carried out inside Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Baluchistan is the province which houses Gwadar Port and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC end terminal.
United States has given the clear indication that Baluchistan is under watch and the Drones are now hovering the CPEC route.
CPEC and the Gwadar port are termed as a new life line for the rising Pakistan. Not only Pakistan but western China rise is also associated with the rise of Baluchistan and the Gwadar Port.
Western Media including the Long War Journal, New York Times have also hinted and indicated that not just electronic intelligence was used in the 392nd Drone strike but the use of human intelligence was also vital in the drone strike which indicates that US Intelligence has confirmed the strong presence in Baluchistan province, not forgetting that it's home to Gwadar and the CPEC.
Pakistan Army Chief, Prime Minister and the Interior Minister have termed it an attack on sovereignty of Pakistan and the US Ambassador in Islamabad David Halle was also summoned to Foreign Office over the 392nd Drone strike but this time the story is much more than simply condemning the strike.
Pakistan has to rethink again on this 392nd Drone strike as it's repurcussions are even more than the previous 391 drone strikes all together.
