0bomba chalks up his first innocent kills

[ska invita]

First Blood Part One

Barack Obama gave the go-ahead for his first military action yesterday, missile strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan which killed at least 18 people.

[...]
The US missiles were fired by unmanned Predator drones, which hang in the sky gathering intelligence through surveillance and, when commanded and directed by remote control, to launch attacks.

[...]
The first attack yesterday was on the village of Zharki, in Waziristan; three missiles destroyed two houses and killed 10 people. One villager told Reuters of phonethat of nine bodies pulled from the rubble of one house, six were its owner and his relatives; Reuters added that intelligence officials said some foreign militants were also killed. A second attack hours later also in Warizistan killed eight people.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/24/pakistan-barack-obama-air-strike

Eight people died when missiles hit a compound near Mir Ali, an al-Qaeda hub in Pakistan's North Waziristan region. Seven more died when hours later two missiles hit a house in Wana, in South Waziristan. Local officials said the target in Wana was a guest house owned by a pro-Taleban tribesman. One said that as well as three children, the tribesman's relatives were killed in the blast.

Pakistan has objected to such attacks, saying they are a violation of its territory that undermines its efforts to tackle militants. Since September, the US is estimated to have carried out about 30 such attacks, killing more than 220 people.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5575883.ece

No one is counting the inncoent in these strikes, or verifying whether those killed had any guilt or 'deserved' to die. The clear policy here is that if someone is suspected of being an opposing soldier the US hasthe right to blow them up in their homes, along with all of their family.

Also this is a total violation of international borders

Drones of death

On 5 September, three children and two women were killed when missiles fired by a suspected US drone, “the third such attack in as many days”, The Times reported.

On 8 September, five missiles fired from a pilotless drone struck a compound in North Waziristan, killing 9 people including 2 children, according to a Pakistani intelligence official.

A further 12 people – including women and children, according to residents speaking to Pakistani reporters – were killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan on 13 September.

On 17 September, a drone fired four missiles at the village of Baghar in South Waziristan, killing at least four people and wounding three. This came only hours after the chair of the US joint chiefs of staff made a surprise visit to Islamabad, promising to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty.
http://www.peacenews.info/issues/2502/25020101.html

AS Obama said in his inaugiration speach:

...from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity...

...obviously not directed to the small villages of Pakistan

 

[Azrael]

Well, Pres. Obama said before his election that he'd expand the war in Afghanistan into Pakistan in certain circumstances. And he's doing just that.

Hey, the President is keeping his pledges!

 

[Brainaddict]

Yeah I noticed this. I wonder about his logic. Because I think the Bush regime in their violent idiocy actually believed that this could get rid of 'terrorists'. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see that it will if anything create new 'terrorists'. Be interesting to see how his policies on this develop.

 

[Azrael]

At a (easy) guess, Pres. Obama wants to look "tough", and operations such as this are the trade off for shutting down Guantanamo and CIA torture prisons.

Personally, I think seeking the death penalty for any terrorist convicted of murder would show the same thing a lot more effectively, and, incidentally, save many innocents from a horrific and needless death.

 

[Detroit City]

Personally, I think seeking the death penalty for any terrorist convicted of murder would show the same thing a lot more effectively, and, incidentally, save many innocents from a horrific and needless death.

but how do you define "terrorist"? usually its the guy on the other side, innit?

 

[Azrael]

I did specify convicted of murder to cover such awkward definitions.

 

[krtek a houby]

"Personally, I think seeking the death penalty for any terrorist convicted of murder would show the same thing a lot more effectively"

Eye for an eye Old Testament style vengeance and retribution?

 

[Azrael]

Eye for an eye Old Testament style vengeance and retribution?

Call it what you like, a man executed after due process and two unanimous jury verdicts is far, far less likely to be innocent than men, women and children "taken out" by an overglorified remote-control plane.

 

[Mr Moose]

Depressing.

One can only hope the new adminstration see the idiocy of trying to control these areas.

I'll retain some hope that the world can change a bit, but can't deny this will be on their hands.

 

[goldenecitrone]

And there I was expecting a hippy President, peace and love man.

 

[Random]

Hey, the President is keeping his pledges!

Yes, his absolutely bonkers pledges that threaten to widen the war, collapse Pakistan's government and deliver nukes into the hands of Al Qaeda sympathisers.

 

[Azrael]

Well I didn't say I agreed with them, but Pres. Obama is standing by his platform.

 

[CyberRose]

Any action against Pakistan is gonna lead to mayhem in this country...

 

[Fuchs66]

What amazes me is that anyone is surprised.

 

[girasol]

I like to daydream that Obama is an egalitarian, a pacifist and an atheist...

I am allowed to dream, right?

 

[Bernie Gunther]

but how do you define "terrorist"? usually its the guy on the other side, innit?

Well, our government apparently defines members of Greenpeace as terrorists. I wonder how long it'll be before they start firing missiles at direct action hippies?

 

[Bernie Gunther]

I like to daydream that Obama is an egalitarian, a pacifist and an atheist...

I am allowed to dream, right?

You are supposed to dream. Bush was discovered to be bad for business, so they've replaced him with a nice polite Kennedy-figure to improve their PR.

 

[CyberRose]

Well, our government apparently defines members of Greenpeace as terrorists. I wonder how long it'll be before they start firing missiles at direct action hippies?

Well if Labour are down in the polls before the next General that might be one way of boosting their popularity?

 

[Streathamite]

I like to daydream that Obama is an egalitarian, a pacifist and an atheist...

I am allowed to dream, right?

of course you are, but the price of such dreams is ever-greater disappointment