CURIOUS CASE OF DRONE ATTACKS

Since the war on terror started, thousands of life has been lost on both sides. However the biggest damages were reserved for the innocent people living in the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq. There is no denying the fact that America is not winning the war it had started almost a decade ago. There have been policies of America and its allies, to whom we can attribute this enormous failure which resulted in millions of lives lost.

One such policy is continuing with the unmanned drone attacks in the tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Day in and day out CIA is carrying out attacks in the tribal belts which results in heavy casualties. Militants are surely dying but the numbers are far less, as compared to the lives of hundreds and thousands of villagers getting killed and their homes destroyed, as a collateral damage.

According to a report released by Bureau of Investigative Journalism, since 2002 up until 2012 around 3000 people have been killed in these strikes. These figures comprises of 2/3rd of civilians. Numbers may look small when we put it in perspective of total lives lost in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, but don't forget this war is not just being fought by guns and tanks and bombs but also with ideologies.

These attacks, which are not just happening in Af - Pak region but also in many other countries such as Yemen, are fueling the anger of already marginalized people against America and this anger is being channeled and funnelled by al Qaeda and Taliban for militant purposes. Terrorist groups are desperate to survive these trying times and it is using the best method at its disposal, its ideologies.

Among the cables released by wikileaks, there was one diplomatic wire send by the then US ambassador to Pakistan which said the policy of carrying out drone attacks is backfiring in the tribal areas and villagers are angry and their sentiments are running high. America has a tendency of playing with fire and here they are doing the same.

American policy makers have to understand that they cannot kill innocent people halfway across the planet in the name of self defense. If they are serious about winning the war on terror they have to take tribal people on their side, as these are proving to be the breeding grounds for terrorists.

Tribal Clans alongside the border of Af Pak holds the key to Americas future in Afghanistan, and the attacks which continue to kil their family members are turning them against any American involvement in future Afghanistan.

Hope America will learn its lessons from the past and correct its future course of action.