Fresh off of a weekend strike which killed four Yemeni, the US has launched yet another drone strike Monday in the Bayda Province, killing three people with a pair of missiles.
This makes three drone strikes in the past week, killing a total of 11 people. Only the Monday victims have been conclusively identified by locals, and included a 12-year-old student.
The victims in last Monday’s strike were initially all termed “al-Qaeda suspects,’ including the 12-year-old, and both of the following strikes also officials writing off the victims as “suspects” with no real evidence behind them.
The US is keen to show that its drone program is not being slowed down by the lack of a Yemeni president to give them permission. At the same time, their limited intelligence is only getting worse in the absence of an allied Yemeni government, and they risk a major backlash on the civilian death toll of the strikes, particularly with no Yemeni government to help them cover up the slayings.
Drones are becoming as certain as death and taxes. At least taxes for the non rich. Oh and death for the non rich too. Never mind.