Drone strikes in Pak tribal areas effective part of US anti-terrorism strategy: McCain

KABUL - US Senator John McCain has insisted that drone strikes against insurgents in Pakistan’s tribal areas is an effective part of the US ant-terrorism strategy, and it should continue.

“The drone strikes are part of an overall set of tactics which make up the strategy for victory and they have been very effective,” The Dawn quoted McCain, as saying during a brief trip to Afghanistan.

His comments come in the wake of Al-Qaeda’s claim that the assassination of seven CIA agents in Afghanistan’s Khost province was to avenge drone strikes that have killed prominent militants.

A Jordanian identified as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who was said to be a triple agent, blew himself up at the base on December 30 in the deadliest attack against the CIA since 1983.

Unmanned Predator planes are used to gather information and launch strikes on Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Drones had “knocked Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups off balance and they have been successful, and we are working more closely with the Afghan government as well as the Pakistan government to make those operations more efficient and less damaging to the civilian population,” McCain said.

“I think it should continue, I think it’s an important tool in our overall strategy and we can claim measurable success in carrying out those operations,” he added. (ANI)