For the first time, a top Pakistani government official has publicly admitted that the United States was sanctioned to carry out drone strikes to root out suspected terrorists.
Former President Pervez Musharraf admitted in an interview this week that Pakistan under his leadership signed a secret deal with the United States, CNN reported. He said the go-ahead was given for only a few select operations, however.
The permission to use drones was “only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and no chance of collateral damage,” he said, in CNN. The admission comes in stark contrast to long-standing criticisms from other Pakistani government leaders who claim U.S. drone operations went forth absent their approval.
The United States has used unmanned drones to launch attacks in Pakistan since 2004.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.