The drone warfare shows no sign of abating or much less a cessation. On Sunday there was yet another attack, third one in three days, that reportedly left 16 suspected militants dead.
On the face of it, it seems the intensified warfare is the price that Islamabad is made to pay for not opening the Nato supply route. However, reports of tacit approval granted for these strikes by the Pakistani civilian and military leadership also abound. The Americans on their part keep saying that they respect Pakistan’s sovereignty but practically are not willing to relent. All major irritants continue to bedevil the two nations’ relations.
It is understandable that President Obama is facing an election at home, yet orchestrating murder without due process in a foreign country is unethical. Extra judicial killings the likes of which would cause uproar if conducted even by the American government on American soil,  is unacceptable to Pakistan. Such is the trust deficit that it now requires the Obama Administration to come round to understanding the popular anti-US sentiment in Pakistan, caused by none but the US' actions themselves. It must redress major grievances that include an end to drone war and an official apology to the Salalah attack. Pakistan has already indicated that it is not simply hostile for the sake of hostility; it has given the US an option to have the supplies resumed but at the new charges. The US must end its strikes against Pakistani sovereignty. It would earn it a useful ally and also help it in packing up the Afghan theatre of war.