U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan’s Pashtun ‘tribal’ region: beginning of the end under President Trump?

The article focuses on the alternative opinions on US drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas after the US’ invasion of Afghanistan. The author argues that even with the apparent success and effectiveness of drone strikes, it has resulted in an anti-drone and anti-US narrative in Pakistan, largely constructed by Pakistani mainstream media. There are major claims related to the efficiency of the strikes in successive elimination of terrorist groups in the tribal region. But, the secrecy of drone campaigns and lack of access to the tribal area has caused discrepancies regarding total attacks and number of casualties. During Donald Trump’s administration, drone attacks have reduced and seemingly an end has culminated. Different factors contributed to the apparent termination of CIA drone strikes in what were previously the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region of Pakistan: 1) Trump’s intention of a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan; 2) the Pakistani military’s counter-terror operations resulting in most of the terrorist groups moving into neighboring Afghanistan; and, 3) a drastic decline in violence and violence-related casualties in Pakistan. The author concludes that if provided with actionable intelligence on high-profile militant and terrorist targets in the former-FATA region, the US President would not hesitate in ordering a strike on Pakistani soil.