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Snowden leaks: Important details about drone killings

New Edward Snowden leaks shed light on the details of US drone strikes in places like Yemen and Pakistan and the tracking technologies that helped them. They focus on a strike targeting an Al-Qaeda surgeon that resulted in civilian casualties. The documents reviewed by the New York Times and the Guardian deal with the March 30, 2012 attack aimed at killing Dr. Khadim Usamah. The GCHQ newsletter, Comet News, described Usamah as a member of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and 'the doctor who pioneered using surgically planted explosives.'”

According to the database of drone strikes maintained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the attack reportedly killed five AQAP militants and one civilian – Mohamed Saleh al-Suna, 60 – while injuring nine civilians, including six children. The documents also discuss how the strike was a product of the joint program between the US, British and Australian intelligence agencies. The Guardian described the program, codenamed 'Overhead,' as operation based on 'satellite, radio and some phone collection of intelligence.'”

During 2009, President Obama’s first year in office, Pakistan saw more US more drone strikes than in the preceding four years under President George W. Bush. The revelations have raised questions in the UK about the country’s involvement in undeclared US wars in Yemen, Pakistan and elsewhere.”

While officials insist the government broke no laws, the British public is very much opposed to drone warfare. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center poll, 59 percent of Britons opposed the drone strikes, while only 33 percent approved. While polls show over 50 percent of Americans support drone warfare, 45 US military veterans recently called on drone operators to stand down and stop the killing missions.”

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  1. This is both lazy and sloppy; certainly no way for a nation to carry on business.
    Even the Mafia has more couth.

    ReplyDelete

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