Posted on 09/13/2005 10:22:21 PM PDT by FairOpinion
PESHAWAR: Pakistani soldiers seized an unmanned drone aircraft in a raid on a suspected Al Qaeda hideout in North Waziristan Agency near Afghanistan, the Peshawar corps commander said on Tuesday.
Militants used the Chinese-made vehicle to spy on security forces in the rugged area, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain told reporters during a briefing. Twenty-one people had been arrested in Monday’s raid on a compound and madrassa near Miranshah, he said, adding that relatives of a former Taliban minister owned the buildings.
“The terrorists used the RPV (remotely-piloted vehicle) to check the position of security forces and attack them,” the general said, adding that the drone was capable of carrying weapons. A military officer from the army’s Signal Corps said the vehicle had a sophisticated, wide-angle camera to take pictures of targets on the ground.
Security forces also seized a “suicide jacket” and Jordanian, Afghan and Pakistani passports along with Al Qaeda training material from the compound, the corps commander said, adding, “This madrassa was an Al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold and operational centre that we have secured now.”
He also said Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) National Assembly member Maulana Nek Zaman was “directly or indirectly” supporting terrorists in North Waziristan Agency.
“Our conclusion is that Maulana Nek Zaman is indirectly involved in terrorism and action will be taken against him once we get enough evidence,” he told reporters while briefing them about the three separate military operations undertaken by the Pakistan Army in North Waziristan Agency in the past few days.
The charge that Maulana Nek Zaman from North Waziristan Agency was supporting terrorists was levelled after the “arrest of a close family relative carrying messages” of terrorists. Gen Safdar said, “If we go by the tribal code of life the arrest signifies that Maulana Nek Zaman is supporting terrorists directly or indirectly.”
He also said that a “junior-level administration official” was arrested for “leaking sensitive information” to terrorists and expressed his ‘displeasure’ over the political administration’s performance.
A second administration official was also taken into custody during a raid on a terrorist compound near Mir Ali town on Monday, Gen Safdar added.
Senior North Waziristan Agency administrator Capt (r) Muhammad Tariq Hayat was removed on Tuesday and junior administration officials had gone on strike against the arrest of their colleagues, reports from Miranshah stated.
Gen Safdar also said security forces were looking for local cleric Sadiq Noor who was in contact with fugitive militant Abdullah Mehsud. “People who plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are paid Rs 10,000 each,” he added.
Gen Safdar said 5,000 extra troops had been sent in to reinforce security along the Pak-Afghan border for the upcoming Afghan elections. Gen Safdar also said weapons belonging to the Pakistan Army had been found from the compounds and the military was investigating how the weapons got into terrorist hands.
He said Abdullah Mehsud had opened recruiting offices in the Makeen area. However, the corps commander did not comment when told that militants had opened a similar office in Wana (South Waziristan Agency) where tribesmen were being recruited to fight in Afghanistan.
So... did they get it from a third party?
Maybe North Korea in exchange for those Nuclear centrifuges?
We'll continue to trade with China, our mortal enemy; and we'll contiue to sell them the technology they will use to kill us. I hope our brave "leaders" are pleased with the cheap Chinese labor and junky products, (and the massive trade deficit).
This is a picture of the President of one nation shaking the hand of the president of another nation. No more, no less.
Plenty of defense technology was moved from the defense dept. to the commerce dept. in order to share info with the Chinese in the 90's. Who was President then?
I wonder what a "manned" drone aircraft would look like.
ping
Nice T hawk I wish they would upgrade the transmitter but that is a 'best buy' and it can carry a small camera
The new Sky Seeker is a pretty neat package too...
That drone is real...this might explain how they know a raid is coming.
"Plenty of defense technology was moved from the defense dept. to the commerce dept. in order to share info with the Chinese in the 90's. Who was President then?"
Hmm.. The great bent one?
They weren't shaking hands because they were introduced at a White House bake sale. The hand shake was to display and affirm each other's pleasure that GWB granted permanent "most favored nation trade status" to China. As I said before, it was a huge mistake to suck up to Communist China and help strengthen their economy.
Business is business. Does China import US goods?
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