Pakistan, US coordinating drone attacks: WSJ

The Wall Street Journal reported that Pakistani 

officials want to broaden the drone attacks to target 

militants that have attacked Pakistani citizens, in order

 to win domestic support. 

NEW YORK US and Pakistani intelligence officials are drawing up a fresh list of terrorist targets for Predator drone strikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, part of a US review of the drone program, the Wall Street Journal said Thursday.Citing official sources the newspaper said Pakistani officials are seeking to broaden the scope of the program to target extremists who have carried out attacks against Pakistanis, a move they say could win domestic support.The Obama administration is weighing the effectiveness of the program against the risk that its unpopularity weakens an important ally.Underlining the fragility of the situation, the US believes Pakistan's top intelligence agency is directly supporting the Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan, even as the US targets those groups, says a person close to the deliberations.In a separate but similar report the New York Times quoting US government officials said 'the Taliban's widening campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan s military intelligence agency, despite Pakistani government promises to sever ties to militant groups fighting in Afghanistan'.The support consists of money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance to Taliban commanders who are gearing up to confront the international force in Afghanistan that will soon include some 17,000 American reinforcements.The Times said 'support for the Taliban, as well as other militant groups, is coordinated by operatives inside the shadowy S Wing of Pakistan’s spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence  the officials said. There is even evidence that ISI operatives meet regularly with Taliban commanders to discuss whether to intensify or scale back violence before the Afghan elections.'The Wall Street Journal in its report pointed out the Central Intelligence Agency's drone program is important to Washington because areas of Pakistan remain a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda militants operating in Afghanistan.