Pakistan Claims To Shoot Down U.S. Drone

If True, It Would Be The First U.S. Pilotless Aircraft Brought Down Over Pakistan

(CBS/ AP)  Pakistani soldiers and tribesman shot down a suspected U.S. military drone close to the Afghan border Tuesday night, three intelligence officials said.

If verified, it apparently would be the first time a pilotless aircraft was brought down over Pakistan and likely would add to tensions between Washington and Islamabad over recent American cross-border incursions into the country's lawless tribal regions.

The three officials said the aircraft was hit at the village of Jalal Khel in South Waziristan after circling the area for several hours. Wreckage was strewn on the ground, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, Capt. Christian Patterson, said officials were looking into the claim.

The report came a day after intelligence officers said two U.S. helicopters crossed a mile into Pakistan late Sunday over North Waziristan, but flew off after Pakistani troops and tribesmen opened fire. The Pentagon denied any incursion by U.S. helicopters.

While causing widespread anger among Pakistanis, the apparent raids by U.S. forces, including missile strikes and a ground assault, have underlined Washington's concerns that the government is unwilling or incapable of rooting out the Taliban and other extremists on the border.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was expected to discuss the cross-border attacks with U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The U.S. is known to operate drones in neighboring Afghanistan that are sometimes used to conduct surveillance of suspected militant hideouts inside Pakistan and occasionally launch missile attacks on the havens. Washington generally does not acknowledge the strikes, which Pakistani officials say often miss their targets and fuel support for the militants.

South Waziristan and other tribal areas in Pakistan's northwest are a haven for al Qaeda and Taliban militants who cross into Afghanistan to attack American and NATO troops as well as for Pakistani extremists who are striking targets in Pakistan.

Militants with roots in the border region are suspected in Saturday's truck bombing at the Marriott hotel in Islamabad. The attack killed 53 people, among them the Czech ambassador and two U.S. Defense Department employees, and wounded about 270.

Washington is concerned that the Pakistani government is unwilling or incapable of rooting out extremists and wants Islamabad to do more to combat the problem. Pakistan says it has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to the area and they regularly battle insurgents.

In the latest fighting, troops backed by helicopter gunships and artillery killed at least 50 militants in the Kohat region since Monday, an army spokesman, Maj. Murad Khan, said. One solider also died, he said. Khan said the military regained control of a mountain road tunnel seized by insurgents several days ago.

In the nearby Bajur tribal region, security forces killed at least 10 militants Tuesday in the latest round of a major offensive there, government official Iqbal Khattak said.

Pakistan's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas has said Bajur had turned into a "mega-sanctuary" for militants and the military was determined to flush them out.

The surge in violence is the biggest challenge facing Pakistan's new civilian government, which is having to balance Washington's demands against deep unhappiness among his people over the alliance with the United States.

In a speech to Muslim scholars late Tuesday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said terrorists are "enemies of Islam with no faith" and vowed to get tough on militants sheltering in the border region.

"We will not allow them to challenge the writ of the government and create a law of the jungle and a life of the stone age," he told a gathering of Muslim scholars in the capital, Islamabad.

Meanwhile, at least six people - including a 12-year-old boy - were killed and a bank set afire Tuesday during rioting in Mangora in the northwestern Swat Valley, police and a hospital official said.

It was unclear how the people died, but police said officers fired warning shots trying to control a mob that was protesting the lack of electricity and natural gas. Police officer Mohibullah Khan said militants bombed the local power station and gas pipeline last week.

The bombing of the Marriott continued to affect operations of diplomatic missions, aid groups and other organizations.

British Airways said Tuesday it "indefinitely" suspended flights to Pakistan "in light of the current security situation." A British Embassy spokesman, Aidan Liddle, said a company that runs four visa application centers for the embassy closed them pending a security review.

[libluv2cnsor]

news of osama bin laden will be delivered by the end of the year.

[petro49l]

Afghanistan is producing an excellent crop of poppies from another bumper crop of the medicinal plant. Why allow Bin Laden to ruin it? He will only make street heroin out of the opiate. Pakistan should refuse to do business with Al Qada. The nation will cater to drug Addicts, not Customers.

[libluv2cnsor]

I dont understand the worry here..its a drone..WE HAVE TONS AND TONS OF MORE DRONES..this time the next drone will be more deadlier, more calculating, undetectable, capable of splitting the asshair of anyone it finds..

carefull of your wishes

[libluv2cnsor]

Islamabad swore to protect Waziristan and Osama Bin Laden. George W. Bush has guaranteed Bin Laden''''s safety and freedom from the Coalition. The Saudis insist that there will be war in Afghanistan and that oil prices will continue to rise.


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Posted by Petro49L at 08:23 AM : Sep 24, 2008
+ report abuse


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let me get this straight..if bush is osama''s friend..THAT MAKES HIM YOUR ENEMY..why dont you begin and focus on that..you should be asking for more muslim blood then..

[petro49l]

The Coalition is under constant threat of attack from Al Qada and the Pakistani Army. Islamabad could launch a thermo-nuclear warhead at an American target in Afghanistan. Bin Laden is perfectly safe in Waziristan. Why start a war with Iran? They could invade Afghanistan from the other side.

[zhynaryll]

Some cowardly folks on this site need to hit the road - and don''t come back!! And as for Pakistan - they''re getting to be no better than Iran. For every piece of our hardware they destroy, we should remove that cost multiplied by a million from the aid we send them. Maybe someone over there''ll wake up and get on the wagon. And leave Bush out of this - this isn''t his doing, and you know it!!!!

[petro49l]

George W. Bush should admit that he is Daddy''s boy and that he fully supports the burning of the American Flag. The Saudis insist that George W. Bush insult the United States as proof of his loyalty. George is earning his bribe money provided by the Saudis for a high oil price.

[petro49l]

Islamabad swore to protect Waziristan and Osama Bin Laden. George W. Bush has guaranteed Bin Laden''s safety and freedom from the Coalition. The Saudis insist that there will be war in Afghanistan and that oil prices will continue to rise.

[omnibus66]

Evidently there was no permission for the aircraft to be there, so they had every right to bring it down.

What do you think our response would be to a Cuban drone flying over Key West?

[skyk239]

This war on terror will never end until end of days the reason is this bin ladinies will keep on increasing.its not Binladin that is dangerous its this Misleading islamic sect that is dangerous,this people are known by muslims as Khawarijis(An Islamic sect that hates whole mankind except thier group

Posted by A039426 at 05:17 AM : Sep 24, 2008
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Sounds very evangelical christian.....

Posted by nextGenMan at 05:24 AM : Sep 24, 2008

LOL Yeah! Now where was THIS loser when we were battling the Klan during the 60''s??

[skyk239]

Most likely the drone was fling at some low altitude and it destroyed because of some technical fault. If we would fly our spy drones, of course they will fly at very high altitudes;
otherwise what is the meaning of ''''spy'''' drone?




Posted by TomFlint69 at 07:11 AM : Sep 24, 2008

UH Huh?? When was the LAST or for that matter the FIRST time THIS Administration did ANYTHING a person would call NORMAL?? When you are STUPID enough to leave you enemy alive, pull out your force, start a needless war someplace else, allow the enemy to escape to this area and agree NOT to go there? Any LEADER that INCOMPETENT will order drones flown at a very low level!!

[tapsettle]

Good for them ! I hope the next US aircraft they shoot down has americans in it. Since dialogue went out the window 8 years ago, violence seems to be the only thing that Bush and Cheney understand.

[nextgenman]

This war on terror will never end until end of days the reason is this bin ladinies will keep on increasing.its not Binladin that is dangerous its this Misleading islamic sect that is dangerous,this people are known by muslims as Khawarijis(An Islamic sect that hates whole mankind except thier group

Posted by A039426 at 05:17 AM : Sep 24, 2008
--------

Sounds very evangelical christian.....

[a039426]

This war on terror will never end until end of days the reason is this bin ladinies will keep on increasing.its not Binladin that is dangerous its this Misleading islamic sect that is dangerous,this people are known by muslims as Khawarijis(An Islamic sect that hates whole mankind except thier group

[byuboy2u]

Give the whole G----n place back to the heathens or better yet nuke em.

[blitzder]

OK, to be fair, I''''ll actually give Shrub a break here. Pakistan, our so-called "ally", needs to pick a side. I know the Pakistani government has their own unique set of political concerns - concern that half the country wants to hang them all. But they can''''t play both sides of the street forever.---Posted by rafterman1 at 08:39 PM : Sep 23, 2008.
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Here''s a think tank suggestion, why not let the Pakis settle their own mess, let Iraqi''s work out their own problems, let Afghans do their own battles.

Americans can''t tell the difference between wedding party and terrorist haven, and are too misinformed about historical events in those regions. ******* policies and even dumber military strikes are not the solution.

[pensacola98]

I can''t say I blame the Pakistani''s for shooting down aircraft that don''t appear to be civilian airliners or their own military aircraft.

They are smart enough to know there is a connection to this type of aircraft operation and other military operations that result in death of their citizens.

Just about every young boy in Pakistan owns a rifle or weapon by the time they attain the age of 12. What do you think they will shoot at?

Most citizens of this nation have little idea about the culture of this region. It is we, who are the cavemen and they, who are masters of survival in some of the most inhospital region of this earth.

The Pakistanis are bright and highly adaptable people.
Believing anything different invites foolish destiny for us and our troops.

[canadianalma]

If the U.S. is going to violate their airspace, they''''re going to shoot our crafts or devices, down!


agreed

[stn_sage]

Well, that shoould serve our military ''fair warning''!

If the U.S. is going to violate their airspace, they''re going to shoot our crafts or devices, down!

[canadianalma]

just beated one yhudeh american female in my dads office for not killing enough american soldiers today sorry
lmao.... was she stinky?