July 27, 2012


A tiny white speck circles high above the village of Anghar Killa in North Waziristan on the right bank of the Touchi River. From the ground it looks like a bird but to locals it is instantly recognizable: It is a US drone of course. Incidentally, not all see it solely as a weapon; some also see it as a tool to bring all parties to the table for a long-term sustainable solution of the longstanding conflict.

Acording to some of the locals, war and force are not the ultimate solution of any problem. Concrete dialogue and engagement are the only ways to solve any problem. All the stakeholders should come to the table and start a joint venture to resolve all outstanding issues and curb militancy, so that the people living in the tribal areas can be free from this menace.

However, the fear of the drone and the damage it may -and often - cause, is not something that the locals do not acknowledge. "When we see a drone in the air, we think of our children and wonder if they will survive if there is a strike," says Zalmai, a local of North Waziristan, pointing towards a group of teenagers playing cricket on a patch of grass surrounded by green fields and dry mountains on the west. "Sometimes, the drone circles for two or three days before attacking."

Since June 2004, when a US drone assassinated Taliban commander Nek Muhammad, unmanned spy drones have become a common sight in the tribal areas of Pakistan, particularly over North and South Waziristan.

The strikes, which usually take place at night, target high ranking members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, but civilians are often caught in the blasts or mistakenly targeted because of faulty intelligence.

According to multiple media reports, since 2004 a total of 309 drone attacks have occurred in Pakistan tribal areas especially in North and South Waziristan which have killed more than three thousand people including local Taliban and Al-Qaeda members too like, Haitham Al yemni, Hamza Rabia, Atiya Abdur rehman, Abu hafs Al shari, Al-Qaeda No 2 in command etc.

"They say that these attacks are aimed at members of Al- Qaeda who are hiding here," says Nawaz khan, a local of North Waziristan, "but in fact lots of innocents including women and children have also been killed in these attacks.
"If militants are inside the tribal areas, then it is Pakistan that has the sole right to launch operations against them," says Zaka, a local of North Waziristan. "The US has no right to carry out these attacks."

Syedajan, another resident of North Waziristan, agrees: "No law permits any country, without any permission or notice, to attack the territory of another country."

"This approach will have a positive impact, especially on the Pakhtuns in tribal areas and Afghanistan," said Gul Agha, an Afghan national who has been living in North Waziristan for twenty-three years. "It will create tension between the Pakhtun communities on both sides of the border. I have never felt that I am living as a refugee, but if these attacks continue the people of Waziristan might direct their anger at Afghans, because the American planes are coming from Afghanistan."

"These attacks undermine Pakistan's responsibility to properly control its borders and have a vigilant watch over the movement of militants, to prevent them infiltrating the territory of Afghanistan," says 45-year-old Nabi khan, a local of North Waziristan. "But at the same time it is the obligation of US coalition forces to check the movement of militants once they have entered Afghanistan - Pakistan cannot solve the problem by itself. Both sides should tackle this problem sincerely, without the blame game from Kabul and Islamabad."
Drone attacks, on one hand affect locals beside the militants, but on the other hand under 5-year kids are also being affected by the present situation.
The militants in North and South Waziristan have banned polio campaigns till the US ends the drone attacks.

According to the Health Department of FATA Secretariat, the polio campaign from July 16 to 18, 2012 in Pakistan tribal areas 750,000 children were to be immunized against polio disease in 5 agencies and 6 frontier regions of FATA, but in North and South Waziristan 227,000 kids could not be administered polio drops just because the militants have banned it.

Ban on anti-polio campaign by the local militants since 16th June this year has big question mark on the writ of the government in the area.
Faced by the ban that indeed has the potential to cause lifelong handicap to the children, the locals are forced to view foreign intervention as a way to bring the stakeholders to the discussion table.

That, they insist, is the only way to save the future of their generations.

Source