Drones and destruction are now part of life in Pakistan. Notwithstanding the anger and condemnation these attacks draw increasingly target innocent civilians as they do, Washington remains obsessed with this remote-controlled way of fighting terror. Although drones began flying since the war started nine years back, their use has increased manifold ironically under this Nobel Peace laureate US pesident. Apart from the pilotless drones that have killed God knows how many innocents, missile attacks deep inside Pakistani territory in the name of netting high-value targets have further complicated this war in one of the world’s toughest terrains. More to come with this now are the off-and-on physical incursions of coalition troops, plummeting geopolitical security to new lows. This trigger-happy approach hasn’t worked though, and is likely to strengthen forces that want to sow the seeds of strife along sectarian and linguistic lines. Hours after Pakistan agreed to re-open the border with Afghanistan, following a US apology for its soldiers’ deaths, couple of more drones came crashing. Seven more people were killed in another missile strike in the northwest Waziristan. Meanwhile next door in Afghanistan four Italian NATO soldiers were ambushed by the Taleban in the western picturesque province of Farah. Often this looks like a tit-for-tat between the coalition troops and the insurgents on both sides of the Durand line, plunging the region in chaos and insecurity. The West’s efforts to safeguard Europe and the United States must not be at the cost of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s high time this endless, disastrous war is reviewed and wrapped as early ?as possible. The US and NATO forces need to realise that neither Afghanistan can be their permanent base, nor a complex country like Pakistan could be dealt with the way they dealt with Iraq. With strong cross-border ties of religion, ethnicity and tribal values, the region demands a composite strategy of nation building and healing the wounds of invasion and occupation. The recent toughening of posture by Pakistan Army as a result of which the crucial supply route to Afghanistan was disrupted is only a small indication of the clout that Islamabad wields. Moreover, the affinity that the civil-military establishment in Pakistan shares with the thoughts and perceptions of the Afghan-Pashtun population should not be underestimated. By putting its foot down and then reopening the NATO supply route, Pakistan has exhibited its flexibility. It shouldn’t be taken ?for granted.(Courtesy: Khaleej times)