Pakistan lawmakers demand end to drone strikes

CBS/AP

(CBS/AP) ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani parliamentary committee demanded on Tuesday an end to American drone attacks inside the country as part of proposed new terms of engagement with the United States.

The demand could complicate efforts to rebuild U.S.-Pakistani ties that were all but severed by U.S. air strikes in November along the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The attack also led to Pakistan's closure of NATO supply lines to Afghanistan.

The committee of lawmakers suggested Tuesday that the supply lines would not be permanently cut, as many Pakistanis would like, though it did not explicitly link the issue of the drones and the border closure.

Also recommended by the committee was an insistence for a full, unqualified apology for the deadly air strikes in November.

The committee suggested that half of the cross-border NATO cargo should be moved via Pakistan's rail network, rather than in trucks, reports CBS News' Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad. Moving cargo by rail would allow Pakistan's government to easily tax the shipments, which it cannot do when NATO supplies cross the border in truck convoys.

Pakistan preparing for end of NATO traffic ban

While the committee's demands were not presented as conditions for the reopening of the border to NATO traffic, a senior official from Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's office tells CBS News they, "have set the direction for the resumption of cargo supplies through Pakistan to Afghanistan."

"There are other conditions in addition to the railways," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The basic point, however, is that these conditions for a way forward suggest we are setting new goal posts for our relations with the U.S."

"If the intention was to keep the route shut, that would have been a straight forward 'no', added the official. "Clearly, this isn't a no."

The most difficult demand from a U.S. perspective will be the one calling for an end to drone strikes. A senior official at the Defense Ministry tells CBS News that Pakistan's army commanders have repeatedly asked the U.S. to help the country acquire its own drones to target suspected militant locations. The U.S. military has been reluctant to share its drone technology with Pakistan.

"The issue is not the tactic alone," said the official. "The issue is also that of ownership. If Pakistan owns the drones, then we will have the capacity to defend their use as part of our policy. Maybe the parliament can even sanction their use, provided Pakistan has ownership of the drones."

Washington wants to rebuild its relationship with Pakistan, which is important to the success of striking a deal with insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan.

But U.S. officials also say the drone strikes are key to success against al Qaeda and the Taliban, and has kept up the attacks despite public opposition by the Pakistani army and government. The issue is muddied, however, by the fact that in private the Pakistani army has been known to agree to at least some of the strikes, and provide intelligence for them.

The November attacks prompted a wave of anti-Americanism inside Pakistan, and the security establishment has tried to leverage that to establish new terms with the United States. Seeking political cover for the decision, the army and government ordered a parliamentary commission to come up with recommendations for a new relationship.

The head of the parliament committee, Raza Rabbani, read out the demands on Tuesday.

Lawmakers will now debate the demands, something that will last two or three days, before voting on them.

The government and the army will decide on whether to reopen ties with the United States, but the debate could influence the decision. Most analysts and lawmakers predict the country will reopen the supply lines soon and that the U.S. will also continue with drone strikes, the frequency of which has dropped significantly in recent months, which makes them less politically explosive in the country.

A permanent break with Washington, which along with other Western nations helps keep the Pakistani economy afloat, is not seen as likely.

[omded]

This is what happens when a country gets nuclear weapons. Pakistan has them, and the U.S. is terrified they'll fall into the hands of people who would use them against us. So, U.S. tax money is sent over there to prop up a government that does things like harbor Osama Bin Laden, because, it's better than allowing them to be overrun by people even more radical - and the nukes overrun with them. This is dancing with the devil, because the devil is better than dancing with death itself. No one dares speak it, but, Pakistan is extorting the rest of the world with its nukes. Keep that in mind when you consider what's happening in Iran.

[rwsmith29456]

Pakistan is past the point of diminishing returns and it's past time to get out of there. Our relations with the country are in shambles.

[GTR5]

We need to stop all aid money to Pakistan and stop issuing Visas to the Pakis to come here. The Pakis here are all a national security threat anyway and they should have their Visas revoked and be sent home. Stop the money and stop the Visas.

[Anotheryahoo]

Congress is bought off by the military industrial complex plus they LOVE to waste our tax dollars Pakistan,Iraq,Afghanistan,Egypt its a endless list of TRILLIONS down the drain. Congress = crap

[julianpenrod]

The debased mentality behind so many of the comments is still, if it serves the interests of the United States, even if it violates other nations sovereignty, the U.S. has the right to do it, and, incidentally, if other nations or groups see certain actions as in their best interests, even if they violate U.S. sovereignty, they don't have the right to do it. The fact is, a large part of civilization is based on the idea of not making your interests override others. And, yes, this enters even into the area of physical threats. If someone went on a killing spree against all known members of organized crime, gang members, drunk drivers, individuals who can't control their anger, it would still be treated as cold blooded murder. You are not allowed to kill someone just because you assert they might kill you.
Especially when your "evidence" is nonexistent, which is the case with the New World Order. There is absolutely no unqualified proof provided anywhere of accusations against Taliban, al Qaeda or any of them.
The New World Order uses the wheeze that "they can't release the proof for national security", but those who respected ethics would provide valid evidence and take whatever actions are necessary to avoid unfortunate outcomes. And what "outcomes" are these the NWO fears? Among others, that "double agents" would be imperiled. But, face it, what would make these "double agents'" information so reliable?
That they were present at and even participated in the attacks claimed against the West!
The NWO doesn't want ti to come out that they tnemselves are engineering "terrorism"!
In the end, one of the surest forms of security is to be others' friends, and have them be your friend. Friends do not attack friends. But, since at leats the end of World War II, the corporately rapist U.S. government has been no one else's friend!

[UForgotPoland]

We won't stop until they stop harboring terrorist!

[Bryon_Evans]

Funny how some here seem to believe that Pakistan has no sovereignty at all and the USA has the "RIGHT" to do what it wants inside of their airspace and borders. In-freakn-sane. "Lot, who do you have in there with you? We want to know! If you don't open the door we will break it down!". Paranoia, delusions of grandeur and forwardness were the reasons given for the total destruction of a couple of nations whose voices once "reached unto Heaven". The oldest and highest rule amongst nations has always been "Respect foreigners and strangers". Break that one one too many times and you will definitely find out why you shouldn't have.

[UForgotPoland]

Paranio? I think we have the right to be paranoid of a country that has been harboring Al Qaeda and Taliban members.

[venusvegasvada]

You're view is admirable, but it's a bit of a dreamworld. It's a bit more complicated than that.

Here's reality:

Pakistan border guards sit on their side of the border (our buddies) and do nothing. On the Afghan side, you have American's in bases. Here come the Taliban, setting up their rocket and mortar launchers, withing earshot of the Pakistan checkpoints, on their side of the border. Pakistan border guards don't do anything. Taliban pound our bases and kill our people. In the past, we didn't return fire. Pakistan border guards do nothing. Taliban pack it up and go home. Again.

The problem with Pakistan's "Govt" is that it's not like ours. In the US, we have one Govt. Their Govt is fragmented, with power shifting around between the different branches. Hard to tell just who is in charge of what on any particular day. Now make a deal with one of "them" and see how far it actually goes...

Respecting others works both ways. I'm sure if the Pakistani's would step up and clean up their back yards, that would stop the Taliban from killing our people. Then we would stop fighting back.

The other problem with Pakistan is that some of them are a bit two-faced. They try and play all sides of all the issues a bit so no matter how it comes out, they think they won't be covered in @#$@. I think that's why they won't go all in.

We don't have a sense of humor when it comes to our people getting killed, despite the gumdrop sky vision of what it's supposed to be like over there- We won't stand for it. Period.

[antoniof123]

Pakistan lawmakers demand end to drone strikes

No problem let's carpet bomb them and be done with it.

[worldcitizen1]

Yea, that would work, oh yea they can shoot back, nevermind. If you think carpet bombing Pakistan would be no problem, you are seriously mistaken! Typical redneck diplomacy.

[venusvegasvada]

The reason we use drones in Pakistan at all, is because Pakistan isn't doing their job there. The other problem with the drones is, they work and it's upsetting someone in their "govt".

Too bad. I'm sure it's got people in the Haqqani and the Taliban upset, which is probably the source of this request.

Don't forget- when the US first arrived in Afghanistan and the US was quickly sweeping across the country, we where trying to grab the Taliban leadership to quickly put an end to it. We had them cornered up North. Guess who saved them and flew them all out before we could get them? Pakistan.

If they want us to stop using drones, the answer is pretty simple.

[venusvegasvada]

Hypno-
"Death-And-Taxes1 -
Agreed.
Especially as Venus is being myopic"

Whatever. You can be as visionary and as disconnected as you want.
I've been there. I have friends who are dead and maimed because of it. If you want to call that "myopic" because it makes you feel intelligent, go right ahead. I'm calling it like it is.

[Bush-cheney-R-Terrorists]

Is it accurate to say that we lost another war, this one being our 3rd loss in Afghanistan in 30 years, after having spent over 3 trillion dollars and the loss of thousands of American heroes? So instead of getting deeper into it with Pakistan, a country with an even lower IQ than U.S., lets quit pretending that we are achieving anything in Afghanistan and let's just have a race to see who is the last one out of the country. And never send another dollar to Pak or Afghan.

[ConSense]

In other news, the U.S. Government today issued a statement that further incidents of aiding terrorists and members of their organizations will not be tolerated. The president called for the procecution of Pakistani government officials who were aware of the presence of Osama bin Laden but did not share this knowledge. The president further stated that any further threats of refusal to allow use of Pakistani airspace or airport facilities will result in the confiscation of needed facilities by the American military, to be held until hostilities have ceased.

Wait, I'm dreaming. I forgot that Obama's in office. I'll watch the news for the apology and promise of further aid to our "friends" in Pakistan...

[antoniof123]

It could be that you are an idiot and not dreaming think that China and Russia might say something like okay they take over Japan, and maybe Germany.

You are a moron at best.