Usman Manzoor
Can anyone believe that almost every time US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman visits Pakistan, the CIA follows him with drones? On October 13, 2011, he visited Pakistan for the fifth time since he was appointed to this office in February 2011. During his visit, American spy agency the CIA carried out two drone attacks in Pakistan, one in North Waziristan while the other in South Waziristan. The series of drone attacks started from his visit continued for three days during which the CIA has carried out four drone strikes inside Pakistani territory. It is not clear whether the CIA is unhappy with his appointment or something else forces premier American intelligence agency to carry out drone attacks during his visits to Pakistan. Abdullah Khan, Director Conflict Monitoring Center while talking to English Daily The News, has said, “Mark Grossman first time came to Pakistan as special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan on 8th of March. On same day, CIA carried out a drone attack killing five people. He was in Pakistan for a two-day visit on May 18 and 19, the very next day CIA carried out a drone attack in North Waziristan killing six people. During his visit to Pakistan on August 2, CIA once again struck a drone attack in North Waziristan. Drone attack on October 13 in north and south Waziristan on the eve of Grossman’s visit to Pakistan was fourth such ‘coincidence’”. Drone attack during Marc Grossman’s recent visit was after a break of almost two weeks as no drone attack was observed prior to his visit in the month of October.
There was only one occasion when Mr. Grossman came to Pakistan but there was no drone attack because a bigger thing had already happened just a day before his arrival. He came to see Pakistani leadership on next day of Abbottabad operation. Interestingly, such type of ‘coincidence’ is not attached only to Marc Grossman. During the year 2011, the CIA has carried out a drone attack on the eve of almost every high-level meeting or visit. According to monthly report of the Conflict Monitoring Center for the month of September 2011, “CIA has carried out a drone attack after every high level meeting between Pakistani and American officials during the year 2011. Among them were attacks that followed an April visit by Director General ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha to Washington as well as trips to Islamabad by Sen. John Kerry and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
Conflict Monitoring Center 