CIA Drones Batter Pakistan Militants

Stepped-up CIA drone attacks in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan have hit al-Qaeda and the Taliban hard in recent months, forcing many militants to retreat to mountain tunnels and placing the Haqqani leaders under increasing pressure. Bombardment of the militant stronghold has become "fast and furious" this year, the New York Times reports in an article that offers a rare look at the situation in the inaccessible region.

The drone attacks that killed more than 90 suspected militants in the first six weeks of this year have also bred suspicion—local people are no longer willing to shelter insurgents for fear of drones, and militant groups suspect new Arabs turning up in the region of being American agents. But the drones haven't been crippling enough to stop insurgent operations: Training sessions about making explosives to attack NATO and US soldiers continue.


(More North Waziristan stories.)