Viewing cable 08ISLAMABAD3677, REACTION TO ALLEGED DRONE ATTACKS IN BANNU

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 003677 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: REACTION TO ALLEGED DRONE ATTACKS IN BANNU 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 3654 
 
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b), (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: According to local press, the alleged U.S. 
strike in Bannu on November 19 marked the first such attack 
in the settled areas of the Northwest Frontier Province, 
outside of the tribal areas. The strike drew a new round of 
condemnation by Prime Minister Gilani, coalition political 
parties, opposition leaders, and the media. According to 
Pakistani press, the strike killed four people, including a 
senior Al-Qaida member, and injured five others. The first 
strike within "Pakistan proper" is seen as a watershed event, 
and the media is suggesting this could herald the spread of 
attacks to Peshawar or Islamabad. Even politicians who have 
no love lost for a dead terrorist are concerned by strikes 
within what is considered mainland Pakistan. As the gap 
between private GOP acquiescence for U.S. action and public 
condemnation grows, Pakistani leaders who feel they look 
increasingly weak to their constituents could begin 
considering stronger action against the U.S., although we 
have yet to see any indication that such a decision is on the 
table. End Summary. 
 
GOP RESPONSE 
------------ 
 
¶2. (C) President Zardari did not issue a public response. 
However, speaking to the National Assembly on November 20, 
Prime Minister Gilani condemned the alleged strikes as 
"intolerable" and said he hoped the incursions would stop 
with the change of administration in Washington. He refuted 
the accusation that the GOP had a secret agreement with the 
United States (as has been reported by the Washington Post). 
He repeated that the issue of drone strikes was being taken 
up with the U.S. government at various levels. (Note: 
Ambassador was convoked by the MFA on November 20, see 
reftel.) Gilani has also called into action a special joint 
parliamentary committee to follow up on the October 22 joint 
resolution against extremism. 
 
 
PARLIAMENT PROTESTS 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) On November 20 in the National Assembly, Pakistan 
Muslim League-N (PML-N) Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali 
Khan criticized the GOP's inability to stop alleged U.S. 
incursion and asked that the matter be taken to the United 
Nations. PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal cited the Bannu attack as 
evidence that the GOP must have a secret agreement with the 
U.S. Other parliamentarians claimed that they have seen 
drones hovering over Swat, and warned that future attacks 
could spread to Peshawar and Islamabad. 
 
¶4. (C) Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman also 
made an impassioned speech during the Assembly session 
against alleged U.S. action in Bannu calling it "U.S. 
aggression and violation of Pakistan's territorial 
integrity." Rehman's party will hold a secret meeting to 
discuss their future actions in response to the continued 
drone strikes, according to contacts within the party. The 
Bannu attack is particularly significant for Fazlur because 
he represents the Bannu district. 
 
¶5. (C) Even vehemently secular Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) 
Deputy Parliamentary Leader Haider Rizvi shared with Polcouns 
that, although MQM supports the killing of terrorists, his 
party can not withstand the popular sentiment against 
continued U.S. attacks. He described the growing popular and 
political pressure on the government that, in his view, will 
translate to pressure on the USG mission. Rizvi stressed that 
the people of Pakistan had not made their peace with drone 
attacks in the tribal areas, and a shift into mainland 
Pakistan was even more inflammatory. Rizvi, who is a member 
of the Joint Parliamentary Committee following the issue, 
said it planned to convoke PM Gilani, Chief of Army Staff 
General Kayani and perhaps former President Musharraf to 
explain GOP policy toward these attacks. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Chairman of the Joint Committee Raza Rabbani told 
the press November 21 that Pakistan had the option of taking 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003677 002 OF 002 
 
 
the strikes to the UN, but he questioned whether the UN would 
be effective in stopping them. "Friendly countries are being 
asked to help Pakistan in convincing the U.S. to respect 
Pakistan's sovereignty," he said. All papers noted that UN 
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had expressed "concern" about 
the U.S. attacks but noted that this was a bilateral issue 
between the U.S. and Pakistan. 
 
NWFP RESPONSE 
-------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Awami National Party leaders Asfundyar Wali Khan and 
Afrasiyab Khattack both condemned the strikes, saying such 
attacks could further weaken the harmony among the people of 
Pakistan and the U.S. Former NWFP Chief Minister and Bannu's 
provincial assembly representative Akram Khan Durrani 
appeared on several Pakistani TV news channels condemning the 
strikes. He also told fellow politicians that though he is a 
well-wisher of the U.S., attacks within the settled areas 
were going to push moderate political and religious forces 
"up against the wall." As the attacks spread into settled 
districts, he warned that politicians are losing face among 
their constituents and many "more people are willing to pick 
up arms rather than listen to us." 
 
¶8. (C) There also were several student protests in Peshawar 
November 21 against the strikes. Anecdotal sources in Bannu 
report that though local people do not care about the death 
of Arabs or other foreigners, they are largely 
business-minded and do not want further instability. Bannu 
residents are worried about the panic created by drones 
hovering overhead. The city was further shocked by several 
militant rocket attacks on November 20, which were in 
response to the drone strikes. 
 
¶9. (C) Comment: Pakistani politicians of all stripes, 
including those from the most ardently anti-terrorist 
parties, are facing growing political pressure to condemn 
U.S. attacks. As the gap between private GOP acquiescence 
and public condemnation for U.S. action grows, Pakistani 
leaders who feel they look increasingly weak to their 
constituents could begin considering stronger action against 
the U.S., even though the response to date has focused 
largely on ritual denunciation. 
PATTERSON