About Those US Missile Strikes in Pakistan...

What happens in Vegas fires missiles in Pakistan: Guided from a military base in las Vegas, unmanned drones like this Predator fly, spy and fire missiles in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffrey S. Viano/U.S. Navy /Getty Images)

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised a ruckus among liberals and conservatives in August when he suggested that he would attack terrorist targets in Pakistan even without the Pakistani government's permission "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act."

John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, attacked Obama for being "naive" about Pakistan: “Will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan?” McCain said during his Wisconsin victory speech on Feb. 22. McCain was, not for the first time, grossly mis-characterizing Obama's words. Obama never explicitly talked of "bombing." He favors special-operations-type incursions.

But both candidates' debating points are moot. The Bush administration has already been bombing Pakistan--without Pakistan's permission.

On Feb. 19, the Washington Post got around to reporting on the Jan. 29 missile strike inside Pakistan that killed a high-level al-Qaeda operative:

Having requested the Pakistani government's official permission for such strikes on previous occasions only to be put off or turned down, this time the U.S. spy agency did not seek approval. The government of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was notified only as the operation was underway, according to the officials, who insisted on anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities.

The Dallas Morning news, almost alone among major North American newspapers, reported the strike on Jan. 31. The Post says the attack was carried out by an unmanned CIA Predator drone. The Morning News account, citing Pentagon sources, had noted that was the attack was "not carried out by a Pentagon-operated Predator."

Confusion persists, however, about Pakistan's role. Today, The Times was reporting that "American officials reached a quiet understanding with Pakistan's leader [Pervez Musharraf] last month to intensify secret strikes against suspected terrorists by pilotless aircraft launched inside Pakistan." Besides contradicting the Post's account (that the strikes were conducted without Pakistani approval) the Times piece sheds light on a secret CIA base in Pakistan that's "home to a handful of Predators" operated from Las Vegas, Nev.

One thing none of those reports mention: the Jan. 29 strike wasn't the first by American missiles, as Pakistanis would be first to show you. Strikes date back at least to December 2005. Will they continue, now that Musharraf's presidency is hanging by prayer? The new coalition government is making it clear that it wants a negotiated solution with its rebellious militants. That's bad news for Pakistani-bound Predators.