Between 2004 and 2018, the United States government attacked thousands of targets in northwest Pakistan using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) operated by the United States Air Force under the operational control of the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division during the war on terror. Most of these attacks were on targets in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (now part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) along the Afghan border in northwest Pakistan.

These strikes began during the administration of United States President George W. Bush, and increased substantially under his successor Barack Obama. Some in the media referred to the attacks as a "drone war". The George W. Bush administration officially denied the extent of its policy; in May 2013, the Obama administration acknowledged for the first time that four US citizens had been killed in the strikes.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, had repeatedly demanded an end to the strikes, stating: "The use of drones is not only a continual violation of our territorial integrity but also detrimental to our resolve and efforts at eliminating terrorism from our country".Ayaz Gul, 22 October 2013, "Pakistani PM Urges US to Stop Drone Strikes ", Voice of America. Retrieved 23 October 2013. However, despite the public opposition of Pakistani officials, multiple former Prime Ministers gave covert permission to the United States to carry out these attacks. The Peshawar High Court has ruled that the attacks are illegal, inhumane, violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and constitute a war crime.Andrew Buncombe, 9 May 2013, "Pakistani court declares US drone strikes in the country's tribal belt illegal ", The Independent. Retrieved 23 October 2013. In December 2013, the National Assembly of Pakistan unanimously approved a resolution against US drone strikes in Pakistan, calling them a violation of "the charter of the United Nations, international laws and humanitarian norms." The Obama administration disagreed, contending that the attacks did not violate international law and that the method of attack was precise and effective.Seth G. Jones and C. Christine Fair (2010). Counterinsurgency in Pakistan (Santa Monica, CA: Rand), xi,.

Notable targets of the strikes included Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban (killed in a strike in South Waziristan on 5 August 2009), Hakimullah Mehsud, Mehsud's successor (killed in a strike on 1 November 2013), and Akhtar Mansour, leader of the Afghan Taliban (killed in a strike on 21 May 2016 in Ahmad Wal, Pakistan). The operations in Pakistan were closely tied to a related drone campaign in Afghanistan, along the same border area. These strikes have killed 3,798–5,059 militants and 161–473 civilians. Among the militant deaths are hundreds of high-level leaders of the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, and other organizations, with 70 Taliban leaders killed in one ten-day period of May 2017 alone.Drone Strikes in Afghanistan. Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 6 March 2019.

Overview

Early U.S. drone strikes and Pakistan's cooperation (2004–2008) For at least some of the initial drone strikes, in 2004 and 2005, the U.S. operated with the approval and cooperation of Pakistan's ISI. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told The New Yorker in 2014 that he allowed the CIA to fly drones within Pakistan and that in exchange the U.S. supplied helicopters and night-vision equipment to the Pakistanis. However, Musharraf said Pakistan gave permission "only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and (there was) no chance of collateral damage". He said the strikes were discussed "at the military (and) intelligence level" and cleared only if "there was no time for our own (special operations task force) and military to act. That was ... maybe two or three times only". He added: "You couldn't delay action. These ups and downs kept going ... it was a very fluid situation, a vicious enemy ... mountains, inaccessible areas." Musharraf wanted the drones to operate under Pakistani control, but the U.S. wouldn't allow it.The Unblinking Stare The New Yorker, 24 November 2014. On 4 October 2008 The Washington Post reported that there was a secret deal between the U.S. and Pakistan allowing these drone attacks.A Quiet Deal With Pakistan , The Washington Post, 4 October 2008 U.S. President George W. Bush reportedly accelerated the drone strikes during the final year of his presidency. General David Petraeus was told by Pakistan in November 2008 that these strikes were unhelpful.Petraeus, in Pakistan, Hears Complaints About Missile Strikes , The New York Times, 4 November 2008

Expansion of drone strikes under Obama administration (2009–2010) Bush's successor, President Obama, broadened attacks to include targets against groups considered to be seeking to destabilize Pakistani civilian government; the attacks of 14 and 16 February 2009 were against training camps run by Baitullah Mehsud. Obama Widens Missile Strikes Inside Pakistan, The New York Times, 21 February 2009; same story at "Obama widens Pak strikes – Attacks target Mehsud camps," The Telegraph of Calcutta, 22 February 2009 On 4 March 2009 The Washington Times reported that the drones were targeting Baitullah Mehsud.U.S. takes fight to Taliban leader , The Washington Times, 4 March 2009 A list of the high-ranking victims of the drones was provided to Pakistan in 2009.Drone strikes killed high-value targets, US tells Pakistan , Dawn (newspaper), 9 February 2009 Obama was reported in March 2009 as considering expanding these strikes to include Balochistan.U.S. Weighs Taliban Strike Into Pakistan , The New York Times, 17 March 2009 On 25 February 2009 Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, indicated the strikes will continue.Panetta indicates strikes will continue in Pakistan , International Herald Tribune, 26 February 2009 Leon Panetta reiterated on 19 May 2009 that the US intended to continue the drone attacks.Drone attacks to continue in Pakistan: CIA chief , Dawn (newspaper), 19 May 2009

The Associated Press (AP) noted that Barack Obama apparently expanded the scope and increased the aggressiveness of the drone campaign against militants in Pakistan after taking office. According to the news agency, the US increased strikes against the Pakistani Taliban, which earned favor from the Pakistani government, resulting in increased cooperation from Pakistani intelligence services. Also, the Obama administration toned down the US government's public rhetoric against Islamic terrorism, garnering better cooperation from other Islamic governments. Furthermore, with the drawdown of the war in Iraq, more drones, support personnel, and intelligence assets became available for the campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since Obama took office, according to the AP, the number of drones operated by the CIA over Afghanistan and Pakistan doubled.Apuzzo, Matt, (Associated Press), "Obama strategy widens assault on Pakistani, Afghan militants", 12 February 2010.

Strategic rationale According to some current and former counterterrorism officials, the Obama administration's increase in the use of drone strikes is an unintended consequence of the president's executive orders banning secret CIA detention centers and his attempt to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, and capturing prisoners has become a "less viable option".Entous, Adam, "Special Report: How the White House learned to love the drone" , Reuters, 18 May 2010. Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia alleged that, "Their policy is to take out high-value targets, versus capturing high-value targets ... They are not going to advertise that, but that's what they are doing." Obama's aides argued that it is often impossible to capture targets in the tribal areas of Pakistan and Yemen, and that other targets are in foreign custody thanks to American tips. Obama's counter-terrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, said that, "The purpose of these actions is to mitigate threats to U.S. persons' lives", and continued, "It is the option of last recourse. So the president, and I think all of us here, don't like the fact that people have to die. And so he wants to make sure that we go through a rigorous checklist: The infeasibility of capture, the certainty of the intelligence base, the imminence of the threat, all of these things." In response to the concerns about the number of killings, Jeh C. Johnson stated, "We have to be vigilant to avoid a no-quarter, or take-no-prisoners policy."

Impact on militants US officials stated in March 2009 that the Predator strikes had killed nine of al Qaeda's 20 top commanders. The officials added that many top Taliban and al Qaeda leaders, as a result of the strikes, had fled to Quetta or even further to Karachi.Sanger, David E., and Eric Schmitt, "U.S. Weighs Taliban Strike Into Pakistan", The New York Times, 18 March 2009, page 1. US military reports asserted that al Qaeda is being slowly but systematically routed because of these attacks, and that they have served to sow the seeds of uncertainty and discord among their ranks. They also claimed that the drone attacks have addled and confused the Taliban, and have led them to turn against each other.U.S. missile strikes take heavy toll on al Qaeda, officials say , the Los Angeles Times, 22 March 2009 In July 2009 it was reported that (according to US officials) Osama bin Laden's son Saad bin Laden was believed to have been killed in a drone attack earlier in the year.Bin Laden son 'probably killed' , BBC, 23 July 2009

Further expansion and broadening of strikes In December 2009 expansion of the drone attacks was authorized by Barack Obama to parallel the decision to send 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan.C.I.A. to Expand Use of Drones in Pakistan , The New York Times, 3 December 2009 Senior US officials are reportedly pushing for extending the strikes into Quetta in Balochistan against the Quetta Shura.Drone attacks may be expanded in Pakistan , Los Angeles Times, 14 December 2009 Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on 7 January 2010 Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman stated the drone attacks were effective and would continue but stated that US would make greater efforts to prevent collateral damage.US senators defend drone attacks , Dawn (newspaper), 8 January 2010 In an effort to strengthen trust with Pakistan "US sharing drone surveillance data with Pakistan", said Mike Mullen. US defence budget for 2011 asked for a 75% increase in funds to enhance the drone operations.US plans 75pc increase in drone operations, Dawn (newspaper), 3 February 2010

Pakistani role in drone operations and response According to leaked diplomatic cables, Pakistan's Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani not only tacitly agreed to the drone flights, but in 2008 requested that Americans increase them. According to The Daily Telegraph, Pakistani intelligence has agreed to secretly provide information to the United States on Mehsud's and his militants' whereabouts while publicly the Pakistani government continued to condemn the attacks.Wilkinson, Isambard, "Pakistan 'Helps US Drone Attacks'", The Daily Telegraph, 4 April 2009.

In May 2009 it was reported that the US was sharing drone intelligence with Pakistan.US Shares Drone Intelligence with Pakistan, But No Joint Control , Voice of America, 14 May 2009 US Senator Dianne Feinstein said in February 2009: "As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base."U.S. official says drones using Pakistan base , Dawn (newspaper), 14 February 2009 Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi denied that this was true.Pakistani bases not being used for drone attacks: FM, Daily Times (Pakistan), 16 February 2009