Collateral damage

America may have killed as many as 17 Pakistani civilians in a missile attack on village in North West Pakistan according to the New York Times today. Again, the US shows itself prepared to pursue what it deems to be its interests regardless of the potential ‘collateral damage’ and regardless of the fact that the village targeted is within the borders of a supposed ally.

The attack, launched in all probability from a Predator drone, was undertaken without the knowledge of the Musharraf regime and was apparently targeting Al-Qaeda No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Predictably, The New York Times prefers to emphasise the apparent failure of the attack rather than the murder of innocent civilians.