U.S. Drone Strikes With Deadly Accuracy

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The missile strike on the edge of the village of Bannu in Pakistani's volatile Northwest Frontier province was at least the 24th since early August and the first outside of Pakistan's lawless tribal areas. It killed Abdullah al Azam al-Saudi, a local al Qaeda leader, current and former Pakistani intelligence officials tell ABC News.

Not only was the strike one of the deepest inside Pakistan since missile attacks began here in 2001, but it was incredibly accurate, killing at least five foreign fighters, but leaving unscathed homes around the target.

The strikes have become much more accurate, residents of the area and Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News, because of a stronger cadre of on-the-ground informants as well as new technology linking the informants, the drones and the targets together in a fashion more accurate than ever before.

Current and former Pakistani intelligence agents say residents of the area who are helping the United States have access to what locals call "pathris," literally "small things" -- referred to by one agent as a "gadget" -- that can be thrown into homes and used as targeting signals. Military officials declined to comment further on whether the devices map Global Positioning System coordinates, provide an RF signal or use some combination of these or other targeting technologies.

The Taliban have responded to the improved accuracy of the strikes with brutality. Militants have targeted people labeled American spies more than ever before, sometimes even assassinating them in public.

"The American intelligence has improved. I'm told that they have a small computer chip they give their own people to throw that into a house," said Brig. Gen. Mahmood Shah, a former intelligence agent and secretary of the tribal areas. "People are sleeping outside the houses, in case somebody has thrown this pathri inside. It's created fear in the area."

Shah, the former intelligence agent, offered this assessment of the attacks. He says the new technology can be used to settle personal scores, helping drive up civilian casualties.

"There is much more accuracy, despite the fact that these devices are being used by the local tribesmen to eliminate their enemies," he said.

But Shah insists the local population on the whole will not openly oppose U.S. airstrikes if there are few civilian casualties and the target is a foreign militant, as it was today.

"Most of the population is a sort of hostage, and they know that these people have made our life miserable. They say -- if there's a correct target -- good riddance."

The missile strike on the edge of the village of Bannu in Pakistani's volatile Northwest Frontier province was at least the 24th since early August and the first outside of Pakistan's lawless tribal areas. It killed Abdullah al Azam al-Saudi, a local al Qaeda leader, current and former Pakistani intelligence officials tell ABC News.

Not only was the strike one of the deepest inside Pakistan since missile attacks began here in 2001, but it was incredibly accurate, killing at least five foreign fighters, but leaving unscathed homes around the target.

The strikes have become much more accurate, residents of the area and Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News, because of a stronger cadre of on-the-ground informants as well as new technology linking the informants, the drones and the targets together in a fashion more accurate than ever before.

Current and former Pakistani intelligence agents say residents of the area who are helping the United States have access to what locals call "pathris," literally "small things" -- referred to by one agent as a "gadget" -- that can be thrown into homes and used as targeting signals. Military officials declined to comment further on whether the devices map Global Positioning System coordinates, provide an RF signal or use some combination of these or other targeting technologies.

The Taliban have responded to the improved accuracy of the strikes with brutality. Militants have targeted people labeled American spies more than ever before, sometimes even assassinating them in public.

"The American intelligence has improved. I'm told that they have a small computer chip they give their own people to throw that into a house," said Brig. Gen. Mahmood Shah, a former intelligence agent and secretary of the tribal areas. "People are sleeping outside the houses, in case somebody has thrown this pathri inside. It's created fear in the area."

Shah, the former intelligence agent, offered this assessment of the attacks. He says the new technology can be used to settle personal scores, helping drive up civilian casualties.

"There is much more accuracy, despite the fact that these devices are being used by the local tribesmen to eliminate their enemies," he said.

But Shah insists the local population on the whole will not openly oppose U.S. airstrikes if there are few civilian casualties and the target is a foreign militant, as it was today.

"Most of the population is a sort of hostage, and they know that these people have made our life miserable. They say -- if there's a correct target -- good riddance."

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http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=6289748&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=6289748&page=1