U.S.-Afghan pact 'does not rule out drone strikes'
Victim of Obama's drone attacks - To date, 175 children
have been killed by him in Pakistan...
The pact between the United States and Afghanistan could leave the door open for continued drone strikes against insurgent targets in Pakistan after 2014, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker indicated Wednesday.
“There is nothing in this agreement that precludes the right of self-defense for either party and if there are attacks from the territory of any state aimed at us we have the inherent right of self defense and will employ it,” he said. Crocker was responding to a question about controversial drone strikes on Taliban and Al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan at a briefing on the deal signed in Kabul overnight by U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan leader Hamid Karzai. The Strategic Partnership Agreement states that the United States will not use its presence in Afghanistan to launch offensive actions against other states from Afghan soil. However, it does say that in the event of threats to Afghanistan the two countries would consult on an appropriate response. “This is defensive in nature, not offensive, doesn’t threaten any one, but I hope the region takes notice,” Crocker said. US officials are loath to discuss the secretive CIA program, the source of sharp tensions between Washington and Islamabad. Drones have killed scores of what the U.S. government says are Al-Qaeda suspects in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. [Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images]
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