American CIA Drone Strikes Continue Over Pakistan
Just as Pakistan has publicly said that the sentencing of a Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA locate Osama bin Laden to 33 years in prison was "payback" to the US, for the accidental killing of 24 soldiers, US military drone flights from Pakistan airfields operated by the CIA continue.
The odd thing is this double play by Pakistan. Retaliating by going after a doctor is infantile on the part of their government. But worse, the airbases at Shamsi and Shahbaz, are used for such drone flights as are those in Afghanistan. The two airfields, although the Pakistani government publicly states that flights are not being conducted from the bases, they continue to "look the other way" privately because the US pays for their use. Then, when it does happen, they publicly warn the US about such flights.
US drones struck again at terrorists hiding out in northwest Pakistan for two days in late May, 2012, despite Pakistan's whining publicly. The Predator drones killed 10 terrorists. Another drone attacked in Hasso Khe located in North Waziristan, a known refuge for Uzbek fighters under the Islam banner. It is estimated that at least 1000 terrorists have been killed from the drone attacks since 2011. The Shamsi airfield is actually leased to the United Emirates. However, the United Emirates leases its use to the US. So, despite the Pakistani government saying the US is not using it, it is not 100% true.