https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1566-8161
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ABSTRACT
The U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan’s Pashtun ‘tribal’ areas, formerly known as FATA, has remained one of the most contentious issues since the war on terror began in 2001 in Afghanistan. Though drone strikes have polarised opinions, they have also resulted in the elimination of lower, middle and higher-level leaders of all militant groups based in the ‘tribal’ region. The U.S. drone campaign in the former-FATA region had some success in the elimination of terrorists. But lack of access to the ‘tribal’ areas coupled with the secrecy surrounding the drone campaign resulted in major discrepancies in the total number of U.S. drone strikes and the resultant casualties. These factors have contributed towards an anti-drone and anti-U.S. narrative in Pakistan, largely manufactured by Pakistani mainstream media. With the last drone strike taking place almost a year ago, this article argues that the U.S. drone campaign may have finally halted in Pakistan. However, even with a gradual halt, the ‘tribal’ areas can witness drone strikes in the future if high-profile terrorists, based on actionable intelligence, are located in the region.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Before FATA’s integration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, it consisted of 7 ‘tribal agencies’ and 6 ‘Frontier Regions.’ These agencies and districts, after the region’s integration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2018 after a constitutional amendment, are now known as ‘Tribal’ Districts.
2. Bergen and Schneider, “Obama has put Pakistan drone war on hold.”
3. For detailed discussion on Pakistan’s weak ‘postcolonial’ democracy, see Yousaf, “Pakistan’s Colonial Legacy.”
4. Grey, “U.S. Kills Al Qaeda Leaders by Remote Control.”
5. Kilcullen, “Terrain Tribes and Terrorists.”
6. New America, “Drone Strikes: Pakistan.”
7. Ackerman, “US to Continue ‘Signature Strikes’.”
8. See note 2 above.
9. See note 7 above.
10. Ibid.
11. TBIJ, “Strikes in Pakistan.”
12. See note 7 above.
13. Ansari, “Analysis: Drone Discrepancy.”
14. Associated Press, “Pakistan Criticised over Drone Victim Numbers.”
15. Grossman, “Trump Cancels Drone Strike Civilian Casualty Report.”
16. Lewis, “Drone Strikes in Pakistan,” 17.
17. Ibid.
18. Zenko, “Do Not Believe the U.S.”
19. Singh, “Drone Strikes Kill Innocent People.”
20. Amnesty-International, “Will I Be Next?,” 52–53.
21. Fair, C. Christine. “Drones, spies, terrorists, and second-class citizenship in Pakistan.
22. Grimmett, “Authorization for Use of Military Force,” 6.
23. Ahmed, “Rethinking Anti-Drone Legal Strategies.”
24. Ibid.
25. Lewis and Vavrichek, “Rethinking the Drone War.”
26. Hijazi et al., “Psychological Dimensions of Drone Warfare”; and Afzal, “On Pakistani Anti-Americanism.”
27. Adams and Nasir, “Inside the Mind of the Times Square Bomber.”
28. Shah, “Drone Blowback in Pakistan; Ibid, “Do U.S. Drone Strikes Cause Blowback”; and Taj, “Drone Attacks.”
29. Shah, “Do U.S. Drone Strikes Cause Blowback,” 48–49.
30. Taj, “Drone Attacks.”
31. Byman, “Why drones work.”
32. Slaughter, “Celebrating 20 Years of New America.”
33. Williams, “New Light on Cia ‘Double Tap’”; and Melancon, “What’s Wrong with Drones.”
34. Williams, “New Light on Cia ‘Double Tap’”.
35. Boyle, “The Costs and Consequences of Drone Warfare.”
36. Yousaf, “Drone Strikes.”
37. Fair, “For Now, Drones Are the Best Option.”
38. Plaw, “Drone Strikes Save Lives, American and Other.”
39. Peralta, “In Pakistan, Thousands Protest against U.S. Drone Strikes.”
40. Drake, “Report Questions Drone Use.”
41. Shah, “Analysis: US Drone Strikes in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas Create Backlash.”
42. Ibid.
43. Author’s personal communication (interview) with Abdul Basit through email (5 June 2019).
44. Waraich, “Cricketer Turned Politician Imran Khan.”
45. Fair and Hamza, “From Elite Consumption to Popular Opinion.”
46. Bureau-Report, “Protest Rallies Held in Kp.”
47. Dawn, “Imran Criticises US Drone Policy.”
48. See note 27 above.
49. Fair, Kaltenthaler and Miller, “Pakistani Opposition to American Drone Strikes.”
50. Economist, “Drop the Pilot.”
51. Shah, “Do U.S. Drone Strikes Cause Blowback,” 58.
52. Shafiq, “The War on Terror and the Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan.”
53. See note 46 above.
54. Tariq, “Drone Strikes Kill Militants.”
55. Bokhari, “Misplaced Sense of Sovereignty.”
56. Afzal, “On Pakistani Anti-Americanism.”
57. Plaw et al., “Practice Makes Perfect.”
58. Fair, Kaltenthaler and Miller, “Pakistani Opposition to American Drone Strikes”; and Waraich, “Cricketer Turned Politician Imran Khan.”
59. Shinwari, “Understanding Fata.”
60. See note 51 above.
61. Schifrin, “Us Drone Strikes with Deadly Accuracy.”
62. See note 31 above.
63. Yousaf, “CIA Drone Strikes in Pakistan.”
64. Author’s personal communication with Michael Kugelman through email (12 June 2019).
65. Author’s personal communication with Imtiaz Gul through email (30 May 2019).
66. South Asia Terrorism Portal, “Fatalities in Terrorist Violence in Pakistan 2003–2019, South asia terrorism portal.”
67. Yousaf, Rashid, and Gul, “Fata Tribes: Finally out of Colonial Clutches.”
68. Author’s personal communication with Abdul Basit through email (5 June 2019).
69. A high-ranking retired military officer, also previously actively involved in Pakistan’s counter-terror operations, shared these views with the author through email, on condition of anonymity (29 May 2019).
70. Author’s personal communication with David Sterman through email (10 June 2019).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Farooq Yousaf
Farooq Yousaf holds a PhD in Politics (2015–2019) from the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. He has also previously completed his Masters in Public Policy and Conflict Studies (2012–2014) from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany. His research mainly focuses on militancy and peace and conflict resolution in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.