UAV Missile Strike in Pakistan

An unmanned US Drone fired multiple missiles at a village in northwestern Pakistan near the town of Miran Shah. According to reports, the house of an Al Badr Mujahideen commander Shahdam was targeted in the attack. This area is a stronghold and called safe haven for Al-Qaida and the Taliban. Some reports are saying at least 10 were kill, others are saying as many as a dozen were killed, and still others are saying eight. News reporting of the attack started at about 12:30 AM CDT or what would be about 10:30 AM in Pakistan.

According to Agence France, the attack was before dawn.

This attack is part of a recent upsurge of attacks across the Pakistani border. President Bush is said to have recently authorized the attacks. It has been suggested that Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahri may be hiding in the area of northwestern Pakistan. This area is an al Qaeda stronghold and is largely ungoverned or ruled by tribal war-lords. This area, up until the alleged new orders from President Bush, would have been "out of bounds" for US military forces because it is in Pakistan.

The strike used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), probably a Predator and probably firing Hellfire missiles. This would indicate that there was a specific target, the target was watched for some time (the UAV's are not fast, generally) and then taken out with intent-- this was not a cruise missile that went astray.

So-- THEORETICALLY (but also logically) -- the "target" was followed to the house by the UAV or was identified entering the house- possibly before nightfall. Operators of the UAV ID'd the target. The ID was sent up the chain of command to National Command Authority (NCA). Authorization was probably not immediate-- There was probably some discussion of collateral damage. Iran is reporting women and children were killed. This is also being reported in India. Once NCA was 100% sure of who they had AND that it was a target worth a several million dollar Hellfire Missile AND that the target was important enough that collateral damage would not matter, they likely gave the order to take out the target before dawn-- before the target would wake up and leave the house.


This is all just conjecture but it is logical. The US would NOT risk strike on a house that MAY have children in it for "Ackmed the Terrorist." The US WOULD however risk the collateral damage and take out a house, rather than wait for the guy to leave and try to hit him on the move, for someone very important.

Now we just have to see who was killed.

UAV Missile Strike in Pakistan