US continues to kill Pakistani civilians with drone attacks while accusing that nation of “exporting violent extremism”

Admiral Mike Mullen, chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff

America’s troubled relationship with Pakistan may be due in part to our addiction to the use of Predator drones, which are estimated to kill 10 Pakistani civilians for every militant. Keep in mind that our use of drones has increased in the several wars we’ve participated in since the day when newly inaugurated Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

It should have come as no surprise as reported in The Telegraph that Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently “accused Pakistan of ‘exporting’ violent extremism to Afghanistan by allowing militants to act as an ‘arm’ of the intelligence service.”

Today’s editorial in the NY Times titled The Latest Ugly Truth About Pakistan applauds Admiral Mullen for being a “truth teller,” but fails to mention the corresponding ugly truth of our drone attacks and the resulting civilian deaths:

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a truth teller. He led the way among senior uniformed officers in urging repeal of the unconscionable “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military and pressed to shift more troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Now, as he prepares to retire next week after a 43-year career, he is telling another hard truth. On Thursday, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Pakistan’s spy agency — Inter-Services Intelligence — played a direct role in supporting insurgents who attacked the American Embassy in Kabul last week, killing 16 people. He also said that with ISI support, the Haqqani network of terrorists planned and conducted an earlier truck bombing on a NATO outpost that killed 5 people and wounded 77 coalition troops, and other recent attacks. 

This was a calculated revelation after Admiral Mullen and other top officials made countless pleas and remonstrances to Pakistan trying to get it to sever all support and ties with the Taliban, the Haqqani network and other extremists who are killing American troops and spreading mayhem on both sides of the border. 

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