Of those killed in US drone strikes against North Waziristan, how many are civilians? It is a question without an answer, but a new report by a Pakistani NGO suggests that the answer is “most of them.”
The report revealed that among the 84 people killed in November’s US drone strikes the vast majority were local tribesmen with no apparent militant ties. Even among the apparent militants killed, there were no high profile killings reported.
This stands in start contrast to the media coverage of the attacks, which usually begins and ends with a statement by unnamed Pakistani officials terming everyone killed a “suspected terrorist.” The suspicion, however, seems based exclusively on the fact that they got hit with a drone, and the group claims that the US and Pakistan are deliberately trying to keep reports of civilian deaths out of the public eye.
The US killed some 700 civilians in the drone strikes in 2009, and the limited evidence suggests that they haven’t gotten any more accurate in 2010, meaning the toll is likely at least as high.
Since Cheney shot a friend in the face some years ago, America thinks it can kill at will. And it does.
Then America, like Israel, doesn't think that Muslims are human so killing them is like killing flies.
When did America move into this parallel universe? When did it join the Israelis in thinking it is above all others?
Of course, the Germans thought they were above all others too and look what happened to them.
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
How can these strikes be viewed as anything short of war crimes? Everyone in the chain of command that has any link to the entire drone program needs to be prosecuted.
Too bad those responsible for enforcing the law are themselves the law-breakers.
"Then America, like Israel, doesn't think that Muslims are human so killing them is like killing flies.
"When did America move into this parallel universe? When did it join the Israelis in thinking it is above all others?"
When it became a state.
It is not only that drones cannot distinguish between civilians and "insurgents", but that on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of the time the US combat forces didn't bother to make that distinction. They were trained to kill randomly and without remorse. For documentation see the new book Unmaking War, Remaking Men (www.unmakingwar.net) Kathleen Barry