DRONING ON

Another drone strike today, with conflicting death toll. The drone dropped 8 missiles in an area close to Wana, South Waziristan -- a militant safe haven. There has been no let-up in drone attacks, even as the government protests against them -- calling them 'counterproductive'. But, many say the government secretly admires the succeses that the predator strikes have been able to achieve. Up to top 20 leaders of Al-Qaeda have been killed, but with a very heavy civilian death. Something that the Taliban use as a tool for propaganda.

The government has also asked that the US provide this technology to Pakistani forces, a sign that they do indeed acknowledge their effectiveness.

A drone attack took place even as Zardari was in Washington, in the trilateral summit. But, CENTCOM chief, David Petraeus said on Monday that senior Al-Qaeda leadership had moved out of Afghanistan and into western Pakistan (seconding the assertion by Afghan president Karzai).