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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Drone attacks destroy Pakistan

The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles). Under the George W. Bush administration, these controversial attacks were called a part of the US' "War on Terrorism" and sought to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants who were thought to have found a safe haven in Pakistan. Most of these attacks are on targets in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Northwest Pakistan. These strikes are mostly carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated remotely from Creech Air Force Base and have continued under the Presidency of Barack Obama. Generally the UAVs used are MQ-1 Predator and more recently MQ-9 Reaper firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The drones have become a weapon of choice for the United States in the fight against al-Qaeda. Some media refer to the series of attacks as a "drone war". Pakistan's government publicly condemns these attacks but has secretly shared intelligence with Americans and also allowed the drones to operate from Shamsi airfield in Pakistan. Washington officials say drone strikes are highly effective in the war against al-Qaeda and have killed a number of high-value targets, including Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban's founding father. But the policy is deeply unpopular among the Pakistani public, who see military action on Pakistani soil as a breach of national sovereignty.

YearNumber of Drone StrikesTotal Killed
200415
200527
2006223
2007474
200834296
200953709
2010100811
Total1961,925

Cambodia stampede

At least 313 people have been killed in a stampede at a water festival on a small Cambodian island, the Cambodian government has said. The stampede occurred on the island of Koh Pich following a traditional boat race along the Tonle Sap river on Monday evening. Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed sorrow over the incident.  "With this miserable event, I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims," he said.  
So Cheata, a soft drink vendor, said the trouble began when 10 people fell unconscious in the crush of the crowd. She said that caused a panic, which then turned into a stampede. Many people were trampled. Part of the crowd pushed onto a bridge, which also jammed up, with people falling under others and off the bridge. So Cheata said hundreds of hurt people were left lying on the ground afterward. Authorities had estimated that more than three million people could descend on the capital, Phnom Penh, for the three-day water festival. Koh Pich is near Phnom Penh. Police and other emergency services were unable to immediately provide more details, saying they were too busy attending to the injured. A district governor said that the incident was the festival's "biggest tragedy" ever. "This is the biggest tragedy we have ever seen," said Sok Sambath, governor of Daun Penh district. Cambodia is one of the region's poorer countries, and has an underdeveloped health system, with hospitals barely able to cope with daily medical demands.