Because we think you're stupid, that's why

Thanks to Senator Diane Feinstein's slip about CIA Predator drones flying out of Pakistani bases to hit both Al Qaeda targets and civilians in Pakistan's FATA region, word is now coming out that the operation is being staged out of the Shamsi airbase in southern Pakistan.

The Times has the story, and my favorite government denial of the week:

A source at NCS, which is based in Denmark, confirmed that the company had been awarded the contract and had supplied the fuel to Shamsi, but declined to give further details.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Pakistan told The Times: “Shamsi is not the final destination.” However, he declined to elaborate and denied that the US was using it as a base.

“No. No. No. No. No. We unequivocally and emphatically can tell you that there is no basing of US troops in Pakistan,” he said. “There is no basing of US Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, none, on the record and emphatically. I want that to be very clear. And that is the answer any way you want to put it. There is no base here, no troops billeted. We do not operate here.”

He said that he could not comment on CIA operations.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help. Trust me.

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