US drone strikes 'on hold' in Pakistan: US official

WASHINGTON: As the US-Pakistan relationship continues to unravel, the US has placed its covert air campaign that targets Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives in Pakistan's tribal agencies "on hold."

Several US intelligence officials involved in the CIA program, which uses unmanned Predator and Reaper strike aircraft, more commonly called drones, told The Long War Journal that US officials fear that an attack at this point in time would further damage the already fragile relationship between the US and Pakistan.

Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating over the past two years as the US has ramped up the drone program while accusing Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and other terror groups.

The Raymond Davis affair and the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan earlier this year further inflamed the Pakistanis.

But the Nov. 26 US airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani troops in Mohmand has led to Pakistan's shutting down the Chaman and Torkham (Khyber Pass) border crossings to Nato supply convoys.

"There is concern that another hit [by the drones] will push US-Pakistan relations past the point of no return," one official. "We don't know how far we can push them [Pakistan], how much more they are willing to tolerate."

One official was clear that the program is "on hold" but that they would consider striking if a target of opportunity presented itself.

"We may strike soon if an extremely high value target pops up, but otherwise there is hesitation to pull the trigger right now," the intelligence official said.

The official refused to say which terror leaders would cause the US to reconsider the pause, and attack.