U.S Officials Push For Drone Attacks Deeper Into Pakistan

A week after news that the White House had pushed Pakistan to do more to crack down on the Taliban, it was reported U.S. officials are hoping to ramp up that pressure by expanding CIA drone strikes beyond Pakistan's border regions and into a major city.

Unmanned drones have been carrying out attacks in Pakistan's tribal region on the border with Afghanistan. But many insurgent leaders are based in Quetta, further inland, and the U.S. says Pakistan isn't doing enough to go after them. Certain officials, including military leaders, say carrying out Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta is the most effective way to cut off the Taliban's power structure, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Some White House officials are worried that expanding the drone strikes into a city of 850,000, or even threatening to do so, could upset Washington's relationship with Islamabad, according to the Times. Other officials believe pursuing insurgents in Pakistan should be a key strategy in the war in Afghanistan.

"If we don't do this -- at least have a real discussion of it -- Pakistan might not think we are serious," a senior U.S. official involved in war planning told the paper. "What the Pakistanis have to do is tell the Taliban that there is too much pressure from the U.S.; we can't allow you to have sanctuary inside Pakistan anymore."