A U.S. drone crashed in the South Waziristan province of Pakistan, near the village of Jangara, according to Pakistani intelligence officials. The debris is reported to have first been recovered by the Taliban, but it is unclear whether the plane was shot down or crashed due to mechanical failure or environmental interference.
Three militants were reported to have been killed in the ensuing skirmish between the Pakistani military and the Taliban fighters, but Pakistani government officials could not or would not say whether the aircraft had been recovered from the Taliban.
The Obama administration has increased use of the unmanned drones to kill fighters in Pakistan, which Pakistan considers a violation of its sovereignty. Data for the number of civilians that have been killed by these drone attacks varies wildly, but the attacks and the consequent civilian casualties are generally considered to be a major contributing factor to anti-US sentiment in the region and, recently, strain between the Pakistani and US governments.
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/18/140570947/officials-drone-crashes-in-northwestern-pakistan
Bob Hartzer
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