Thousands demonstrate against U.S. drone strikes
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-01/21/c_13701881.htm PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of tribesmen marched in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on Friday against the U.S. drone strikes, which they said killed innocent people, locals told Xinhua on phone.
All markets and educational institutions were closed and transport off the roads in Miranshah, the center of North Waziristan, as a sign of anger against the attacks by the U.S. pilotless aircraft.
American pilotless aircraft regularly fire rockets into the Pakistani tribal region of Waziristan as the U.S. officials say the area is the launching pad for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.Tribesmen say that innocent people are targeted by the U.S. aircraft.
Tribesmen, students, religious leaders, transporters and shopkeepers joined hands in the protest on Friday. They marched in the city and chanted slogans against the U.S., a tribal journalist said on phone from Miranshah.
Speakers condemned the American strikes and asked the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to take suo motto notice of the American attacks.
A trader leader Malik Abdul Hakim Nasir demanded in his speech that action should be taken against U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and the CIA chief for what they called killings of the innocent people.
A student leader Abul Rauf while addressing the demonstrators said that the U.S. drone strikes have made life of the people miserable as they have always in fear of strikes in houses, mosques and funerals.
tribal elder Sher Ali Khan said tribesmen have launched the campaign from Miranshah and will continue it until the U.S. stopped the strikes. He said another rally will be held in Mir Ali, another main town in the region, on Sunday.
The speakers also criticized the government of Pakistan for what they called its failure to stop the drone strikes. "Pakistan is a sovereign country and our leadership should react to the brutal U.S.attacks," they said.
Tribesmen said that the U.S. aircraft carried out 108 strikes only in North Waziristan last year, which killed hundreds of innocent people and destroyed many houses of the locals.
Waziristan is the home of Pakistani Taliban leaders Hakimullah Mehsud, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mulla Nazir.
The Taliban-linked Haqqani network, fighting against U.S. forces in neighboring Afghanistan, is also thought to be active in the region, the U.S. officials say.
The network is run by Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of the former Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani. Pakistan is under pressure to launch operation against Haqqani network.
Among a number of high-profile militant leaders, former Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a drone attack in August 2009.
Pakistan publicly criticizes drone attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty and fuel more anti-Americanism among the people, but observers widely believe that Pakistan shares intelligence with the U.S. on drone strikes.
