My curiosity got the best of me the other day and I decided to try to find out how many people have been killed by unmanned aerial drones owned by the United States. This information was not difficult at all to locate. Several organizations, as well as the US Government itself, keep track of this information. I decided to focus my attention on Pakistan, because this is a nation in which US drone activity is quite rampant, yet this is a nation with whom we ARE NOT AT WAR at the moment.
It turns out that US drones have been operating in Pakistan airspace since 2004. Keep in mind this is public information. Who can say how long drones have really been operating in Pakistan or anywhere else? Anyway, from 2004 to 2007, drone kill "stats" were not kept quite as accurately. So for that three year period, roughly 300 Pakistanis were killed by American drones. Of that number, as many as 200 of the people killed were known to be civilians, NOT militants. Since 2004, a total of 3176 people have perished in US drone attacks. Of that number, 310 were "officially" noncombatants. These are the people that just happened to be standing too close (within a thousand yards!) of the drone attacks and were accidentally killed. This is also known as collateral damage. Apparently three hundred unintended victims is an acceptable number in drone operations. Again, we are not at war with Pakistan. But, if you check out the stats a little closer, you find that ANOTHER 315 people were killed in these same drone attacks. THESE people were classified as "unknown." In other words, the drone operators did not know if these were civilians or "combatants" so they were just, well, killed anyway. The show must go on, you know.
So it turns out that, from the armed forces' own statistics, at least twenty percent (2 out of 10) people killed during the "average" drone attack are not even involved in the "non-war." Pakistan, while not overly friendly with the United States (for obvious reasons) is still not at war with us. Why are we killing people there? By "we" I mean President Open and Transparent Obama, who has let us know many times that he gives the ultimate approval for these drone attacks in locations such Pakistan, where we ARE NOT AT WAR. This President, who has violated not only "international laws of war" but also the words and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States, was yet re-elected to carry on the Drone Wars against a nation with whom we are not at war! So the drone strikes continue unabated. I do not really see this turning around in 2013, either.
But I noticed something else about the Drone Kill "stats" as they continued from 2004 to 2012. You see, from 2004 to 2011, that stats are actually pretty vague. Some sources report fewer deaths than others. Of course, some report many fewer civilian deaths than others. But a "funny" thing happened with the 2012 stats. Suddenly, in 2012, not only were fewer people killed, but the "stats" were much more precise. I had to wonder if this improvement in quantifying death had anything to do with the 2012 Presidential Campaign. Hmmmm...
Like I said, with President Open and Transparent Obama in office for a second term, this time literally untouchable and unaccountable, there is precious little chance that the drone attacks in Pakistan will stop in 2013 or for the foreseeable future. I also have to wonder what is limiting the Drone War to Pakistan. Yes, I know that drones operate in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we are sort of "at war" with those two nations (though not declared as the Constitution demands) and this blog does not deal with those two nations. My fear and belief is that President Obama will expand the Drone War to cover Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and wherever else he decides he has the right to send drones in violation of international convention and in direct contrast to the supposed peaceable intentions of this great nation that Obama seems so intent in humiliating before the world.
So the drones continue flying, the targets ever growing, and the President telling us we are justified in using this "tool" in the "War On Terror." I would like to point out something to those who voted to keep this man in office, and to those who think our Government is so benevolent toward its citizens and the rest of the world, that there is NOTHING to keep our drones from overflying OUR NATION or any of OUR TRUE ALLIES. This means that you or I could possibly someday be part of the collateral damage after some "militant" is attacked by a drone here in the United States. Your friends living overseas, or you when touring overseas, are subject to the same risk. Some "militant" could be driving down the street while you are browsing in a quaint gift shop. As the drone "takes out the target" will you be one the "ten percent" acceptable civilian deaths? You and I have the power, or I should say, can RETAKE the power, and demand that these drones be pulled out of all nations with whom we are not at war. Oh, one more thing. What is to keep some other nation from sending a drone over here to take out one of their "militants" who might be hiding in the United States?
Well, I am DRONED OUT for tonight. What are you going to do about it? Drone warfare, I mean. The President is here to stay, but he is only one man. We STILL have Senators and Congressmen who will act for us, IF we demand it. Are you DRONED OUT TOO? Let your politicians know. And, let them know THEY are accountable. Because they ARE. I hope you will join me in demanding that our Congress stop the Drone Wars in those lands with whom we are NOT FIGHTING. For I can assure you that if the Drones Over Pakistan go unchecked, so will the DRONES OVER AMERICA in the coming months. And yes, it will be THAT soon.
source: http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/drones
It turns out that US drones have been operating in Pakistan airspace since 2004. Keep in mind this is public information. Who can say how long drones have really been operating in Pakistan or anywhere else? Anyway, from 2004 to 2007, drone kill "stats" were not kept quite as accurately. So for that three year period, roughly 300 Pakistanis were killed by American drones. Of that number, as many as 200 of the people killed were known to be civilians, NOT militants. Since 2004, a total of 3176 people have perished in US drone attacks. Of that number, 310 were "officially" noncombatants. These are the people that just happened to be standing too close (within a thousand yards!) of the drone attacks and were accidentally killed. This is also known as collateral damage. Apparently three hundred unintended victims is an acceptable number in drone operations. Again, we are not at war with Pakistan. But, if you check out the stats a little closer, you find that ANOTHER 315 people were killed in these same drone attacks. THESE people were classified as "unknown." In other words, the drone operators did not know if these were civilians or "combatants" so they were just, well, killed anyway. The show must go on, you know.
So it turns out that, from the armed forces' own statistics, at least twenty percent (2 out of 10) people killed during the "average" drone attack are not even involved in the "non-war." Pakistan, while not overly friendly with the United States (for obvious reasons) is still not at war with us. Why are we killing people there? By "we" I mean President Open and Transparent Obama, who has let us know many times that he gives the ultimate approval for these drone attacks in locations such Pakistan, where we ARE NOT AT WAR. This President, who has violated not only "international laws of war" but also the words and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States, was yet re-elected to carry on the Drone Wars against a nation with whom we are not at war! So the drone strikes continue unabated. I do not really see this turning around in 2013, either.
But I noticed something else about the Drone Kill "stats" as they continued from 2004 to 2012. You see, from 2004 to 2011, that stats are actually pretty vague. Some sources report fewer deaths than others. Of course, some report many fewer civilian deaths than others. But a "funny" thing happened with the 2012 stats. Suddenly, in 2012, not only were fewer people killed, but the "stats" were much more precise. I had to wonder if this improvement in quantifying death had anything to do with the 2012 Presidential Campaign. Hmmmm...
Like I said, with President Open and Transparent Obama in office for a second term, this time literally untouchable and unaccountable, there is precious little chance that the drone attacks in Pakistan will stop in 2013 or for the foreseeable future. I also have to wonder what is limiting the Drone War to Pakistan. Yes, I know that drones operate in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we are sort of "at war" with those two nations (though not declared as the Constitution demands) and this blog does not deal with those two nations. My fear and belief is that President Obama will expand the Drone War to cover Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and wherever else he decides he has the right to send drones in violation of international convention and in direct contrast to the supposed peaceable intentions of this great nation that Obama seems so intent in humiliating before the world.
So the drones continue flying, the targets ever growing, and the President telling us we are justified in using this "tool" in the "War On Terror." I would like to point out something to those who voted to keep this man in office, and to those who think our Government is so benevolent toward its citizens and the rest of the world, that there is NOTHING to keep our drones from overflying OUR NATION or any of OUR TRUE ALLIES. This means that you or I could possibly someday be part of the collateral damage after some "militant" is attacked by a drone here in the United States. Your friends living overseas, or you when touring overseas, are subject to the same risk. Some "militant" could be driving down the street while you are browsing in a quaint gift shop. As the drone "takes out the target" will you be one the "ten percent" acceptable civilian deaths? You and I have the power, or I should say, can RETAKE the power, and demand that these drones be pulled out of all nations with whom we are not at war. Oh, one more thing. What is to keep some other nation from sending a drone over here to take out one of their "militants" who might be hiding in the United States?
Well, I am DRONED OUT for tonight. What are you going to do about it? Drone warfare, I mean. The President is here to stay, but he is only one man. We STILL have Senators and Congressmen who will act for us, IF we demand it. Are you DRONED OUT TOO? Let your politicians know. And, let them know THEY are accountable. Because they ARE. I hope you will join me in demanding that our Congress stop the Drone Wars in those lands with whom we are NOT FIGHTING. For I can assure you that if the Drones Over Pakistan go unchecked, so will the DRONES OVER AMERICA in the coming months. And yes, it will be THAT soon.
source: http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/drones
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