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AfPak opposition may be in trouble with UAV expansion

  • By Defense Systems Staff
  • Jun 21, 2012

As the United States and NATO moves closer to withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaders are considering expanding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the nation, and possibly in bordering Pakistan, which are still havens for terrorists, reports Aviation Week.

Speaking June 18 in a keynote speech at the IISS Fullerton Lecture, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry said that “Drones play a very important role in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the story said. Even with 100,000 U.S. troops on the ground, the terrain of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the border areas is difficult. The impossibility of accessing these areas, to counter the plans of Al Qaeda and the [Taliban-allied] Haqqani clan, has created a sanctuary inside Pakistan.”

He added, according to the article, that “drones are absolutely essential for reconnaissance and strike” capability.

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