December 7, 2011 | NPR

On Point

The U.S. military is abandoning an airbase in Pakistan that was reportedly being used to wage a part of the drone campaign against Taliban and al Qaeda militants in the boarderlands between that country and Afghanistan. The move comes in the wake of a skirmish between Pakistani and NATO forces, which left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead.

Also over the weekend, the Iranian government announced that it had shot down a U.S. spy drone. Tehran claimed to have brought down a stealthy  RQ-170, the type reportedly used in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Washington said today that there was no indication that the drone was brought down by hostile fire.

We’ve discussed various aspects of the drone campaign frequently on the program, including its legal, political, and military implications.

Issues:

Afghanistan Pakistan