{"id":392096,"date":"2010-03-04T13:26:46","date_gmt":"2010-03-04T18:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prisonplanet.com\/?p=35918"},"modified":"2010-03-04T13:26:46","modified_gmt":"2010-03-04T18:26:46","slug":"1-in-3-killed-by-u-s-drone-attacks-in-pakistan-are-civilians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/392096","title":{"rendered":"1 in 3 Killed by U.S. Drone Attacks In Pakistan Are Civilians"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong><\/span>\"1<\/p>\n

Thinktank report figures highlight increasing frequency of missile deaths<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Steve Watson<\/a>
\nPrisonplanet.com<\/a>
\nThursday, March 4th, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

One out of every three people killed by unmanned US<\/a> Predator drones in Pakistan<\/a> is a civilian, according to a new report that highlights the collateral damage caused by the targeting of Taliban<\/a> and \u201cAl Qaeda<\/a>\u201d operatives with missiles.<\/p>\n

The report by Washington think tank The New America Foundation<\/em><\/strong><\/a> has found that 32% of the more than 1,200 people killed since 2004 were innocent bystanders rather than dangerous terrorists.<\/p>\n

The nonpartisan public policy institute based it\u2019s research on media<\/a> accounts from sources including the New York Times, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal<\/a>, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, CNN<\/a>, the BBC, in addition to reports in the leading English-language newspapers in Pakistan<\/a>, as well as coverage by the largest independent Pakistani television network.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur study shows that the 114 reported drone strikes in northwest Pakistan<\/a>, including 18 in 2010, from 2004 to the present have killed approximately between 834 and 1,216 individuals,\u201d the report by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann states.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026around 549 to 849 were described as militants in reliable press accounts, about two-thirds of the total on average. Thus, the true civilian fatality rate since 2004 according to our analysis is approximately 32 percent.\u201d the study concludes.<\/p>\n

The thinktank has produced an interactive map that shows the location and details of each reported strike. Click the image below to access the map:<\/p>\n

\"1<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, given that these figures are based on public media<\/a> reports of drone attacks only, the actual figures of civilian deaths are likely to be much higher.<\/p>\n

Indeed, reports last year drawn up by Pakistani authorities<\/a><\/strong> indicated that close to 700 civilians had already perished, with just 14 wanted Al Qaeda<\/a> leaders killed in the attacks.<\/p>\n

The frequency of unmanned drone attacks has increased, as expected<\/a><\/strong>, under the Obama<\/a> administration, with 53 reported attacks last year; more than were carried out during the entirety of George W. Bush\u2019s two four year terms in office.<\/p>\n

This is one campaign promise Obama<\/a> has kept, as he admitted that he would seek to expand the U.S. led war<\/a> on terror<\/a> into Pakistan<\/a><\/a><\/strong> should he be elected.<\/p>\n

In January, Nobel Peace Prize<\/a> winner Obama<\/a> requested a record defense budget<\/a><\/strong>, the bulk of which will be used to acquire more pilotless Predator and Reaper drones.<\/p>\n

Reports last December revealed that drone strikes are set to be expanded again, this time into Pakistan<\/a>\u2019s Baluchistan province<\/a><\/strong> for the first time, and into the country\u2019s cities<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The U.S. still officially refuses to acknowledge the existence<\/a><\/strong> of any unmanned drone program inside Pakistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reason for this is simple \u2013 even if you discount the hundreds of innocent lives lost in the attacks, the strikes still amount to unlawful extra-judicial killing of militants. They also infringe the national sovereignty of Pakistan<\/a> and constitute an act of war<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Pakistani authorities have <\/strong>consistently voiced public opposition to cross border missile strikes, which have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has stated<\/a><\/strong> that the Pakistani government<\/a> is actively facilitating the attacks by providing bases from which to launch the drones.<\/p>\n

The New America Foundation report concludes that although civilian casualty figures are high, they do not believe their study will influence the U.S. military<\/a> to reconsider their use.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the controversy drone strikes are likely to remain a critical tool for the United States to disrupt Al Qaeda<\/a> and Taliban<\/a> operations and leadership structures,\u201d it states.<\/p>\n

\n

Possibly Related Posts:<\/h3>\n