US pushing to expand drone strikes to Quetta : report | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

US pushing to expand drone strikes to Quetta : report

PTI | By, Washington
Dec 14, 2009 01:12 PM IST

Top American officials are pushing to expand predator drone strikes beyond Pakistan's tribal region and into the provincial capital of Balochistan, Quetta to put pressure on the Pakistan government to pursue Taliban leaders based in the city.

Top American officials are pushing to expand predator drone strikes beyond Pakistan's tribal region and into the provincial capital of Balochistan, Quetta to put pressure on the Pakistan government to pursue Taliban leaders based in the city.

HT Image
HT Image

The US officials have also given the Pakistan government and army a list of eighteen top Taliban leaders, including Mullah Omar who it wants to be targeted in a show of urgency in dismantling the so-called 'Quetta shura', the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The proposal has opened a contentious new front in the clandestine war, the paper reported saying that the prospects of Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta signals a new US resolve to decapitate the Taliban. But it also risks rupturing Washington's relationship with Islamabad.

The concern has created tension among officials in the Obama administration over whether unmanned aircraft strikes in a city of 850,000 are a realistic option, but proponents including some military leaders argue that attacking the Taliban in Quetta is critical to the success of the revised war strategy.

But others, including high-ranking US intelligence officials, have been more sceptical of employing drone attacks in a place that Pakistanis see as part of their country's core, the report said.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On