Obama administration: Yes, we use drones
By Suzanne Kelly
The Obama administration publicly justified its use of unmanned drones to target suspected terrorists overseas for the first time Monday, with a top official saying the strikes are conducted "in full accordance with the law."
John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser said strikes are used when the option of capture is not feasible. Brennan discussed the strikes during a Monday address at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington think-tank.
"President Obama said here five years ago, if another nation cannot or will not take action, we will," Brennan said. "And it is an unfortunate fact that to save many innocent lives we are sometimes obliged to take lives - the lives of terrorists who seek to murder our fellow citizens."
The program utilizes unmanned aerial vehicles, often equipped with Hellfire missiles, to target al Qaeda operatives in remote locations overseas - often on the territory of U.S. allies such as Pakistan and Yemen. Brennan said the United States "respects national sovereignty and international law" and is guided by the laws of war in ordering those attacks.
But the attacks have drawn repeated condemnations from Pakistan, which says the strikes have killed numerous civilians. A drone strike hit a high school in the country's northwestern tribal region where intelligence officials said Islamic militants were hiding Sunday, bringing a fresh denunciation from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And domestic critics insist that the program isn't legal, and they remain concerned about the targeted killing of Americans like accused al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, who died in a drone strike in Yemen in September.
"Mr. Brennan supplies legal conclusions, not legal analysis," said Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "We continue to believe that the administration should release the Justice Department memos underlying the program - particularly the memo that authorizes the extrajudicial killing of American terrorism suspects. And the administration should release the evidence it relied on to conclude that an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, could be killed without charge, trial, or judicial process of any kind."
And a woman stood up in the middle of Brennan's speech to protest the use of the drone strikes. She was carried out by security.
Brennan's remarks are the Obama administration's most candid and open confirmation of the program to date. Attorney General Eric Holder defended the killing of al-Awlaki in March, saying the United States had the right to use "technologically advanced weapons" against terrorists, and Brennan said the top lawyers for the Pentagon, State Department and CIA have laid out the legal basis for the attacks.
"When considering lethal force, we are of course mindful that there are important checks on our ability to act unilaterally in foreign territories," he said. "We do not use force whenever we want, wherever we want. International legal principles, including respect for a state's sovereignty and the laws of war, impose constraints. The United States of America respects national sovereignty and international law."
Brennan said people are targeted if they are believed to pose a significant threat to the United States or its overseas interests. The targets are usually people holding high-ranking positions within al Qaeda, or who possess critical skills that help enable the terrorist organization to carry out attacks, and there is no feasible chance to capture them.
Arguments in favor of the method include the fact that no U.S. troops are put at risk, and that the precision targeting capabilities enable for the careful avoidance of civilian deaths. Brennan acknowledged that innocent civilians are killed sometimes, and the administration conducts a full review of the operation when that happens.
But he did not address the issue of backlash from al Qaeda or other organizations. In 2009, a CIA base in Afghanistan was targeted by a suicide bomber who posed as a double agent and killed seven CIA Officers along with a Jordanian intelligence official. A Taliban commander claimed that the attack was in retaliation for a drone strike.
And he said the program is now spreading beyond the United States, saying that other countries have the technology - casting light for the first time on the administration's concerns about the possibility that other countries using this technology against the United States.
"President Obama and those of us on his national security team are very mindful that as our nation uses this technology, we are establishing precedents that other nations may follow," he said. "And not all of them will be nations that share our interests or the premium we put on protecting human life, including innocent civilians."
Brennan also revealed that there are disagreements over use of the program within the administration - but he added that the nation is at war.
"If anyone in government who works in this area tells you they haven't struggled with this, then they haven't spent much time thinking about it. I know I have, and I will continue to struggle with it as long as I remain involved in counterterrorism."
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
Bush used drones so what's the big deal?
To what effect?.......exactly.
Yeah, but will you all support those drones when they are flying over your neighborhood in the continental US looking for suspected dissidents, or blowing up some random individual down the street, because he was a supposed terrorist. It’s a bug hunt and I'm afraid that the drone mission will just keep them scurrying. It definitely will not win a thing. It will keep fueling the islamists with fresh recruits from all those collateral accidents. People are so gullible to think that drones are anything other than an expensive and dangerous program to make it seem like its easy and successful. That always garners public support.
Paranoid. Send beans.
Islam send it's own peoples to explode themself to kill innocent. American use drone to kill enemy with precision and whitout putting any american life in danger. As long a single muslim terrorist exist, the use of drone is mantadory
100% in agreement. I do not revel in the killing of another human being, however, freedom and security is bought with the blood of those who wish and tirelessly seek ways to kill the innocent.
There's an easy way to stop the usage of the drones... stop participating, assisting, and colluding with terrorists and their actions. That's not going to happen, therefore, the drones will not stop flying.
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/08/repulsive_progressive_hypocrisy/
awesome work. I know Pak gov(not ISI though) secretly likes these guys blown up, but in fear of backlash from public, are "protesting" against drones.
The especially don't like the public backlash when women and children die as a result of the drone attacks.
The use of drones is absolutely the right thing to do. The loss of american lives has already been horrendous in these wars. If we are able to get enemy combatants off the battlefield without the loss of american lives, what's the problem. And as far as the loss of civilian lives, this is called collateral damage. Can anyone point out one war where there hasn't been collateral damage ?
The loss of American lives? That's because they volunteered to go there. WE started the war, not Afghanistan, not Pakistan, not Iraq, the USA started the war. Osama didn't start any war. Whatever happened to "We don't respond to terrorists." Instead we started 2 wars in the same region to "stabilize the region" from terrorists and radical dictators. We shouldn't be over there at all. We over there fighting for democracy? Yeah right. Not ONE soldier wants to actually go to war to fight for democracy. They all have various reasons and the patriotic reasons are actually quite rare compared to other reasons. You think these soldiers are fighting so that we can indulge ourselves with McDonalds and trash the planet even more? You think they are fighting so you can catch the next episode of the Kardashian's and obsess over materialism/trendiness? No. And while all these drones are good as they prevent loss of human life on our side, it still can destroy.
And with the type of technology these drones possess nowadays, "missing" or killing civilians shouldn't be an issue. These drones have high accuracy and to kill a civilian just means whoever controlled the drone sitting in a base in front of a screen as if playing a video game got careless.
NO! We did NOT start this war. Murderous, spineless, terrorists who don't think twice of targeting and killing innocent civilians started this war. As long as men like that exist, the drones will fly and I will continue to volunteer to hunt them down and keep them from killing other innocent men, women, and children.
@ JOH
You said missing or killing civilians should not be an issue because of the high technology. Well, if not for the cowardly habit of these terrorists of using civilians as human sheilds, you're right, it wouldn't be an issue.
While I grasp the irony of Obama, the man who vowed to close Gitmo and give civilian trials to Al Qaeda operatives using drones to a degree that Bush never did, as a conservative, I find it one of the few good things he has done.
Agreed.
RJP, BFD, where have you been? Congress approved war against Afghansitan AND Al Queda on September 14, 2001. Al-Queda. Meaning we can and will go after them wherever in the world they are. If another country is harboring Al-Queda, we have every right to go after them. American citizens included, if they are deemed an enemy combatant. How long should we have waited while extremistscontinually bombed our interests overseas and abroad. 98 US embassy bombing, the USS Cole in 01, New York City in 93 and again in 2001, etc. etc. etc. We've had enough. I'm proud of our drones for doing a damn fine job, and happy that my tax dollars have paid for a small portion of the payback we've delivered. GOOD JOB US MILITARY!
100% agree and thank you for your support.
Sure its legal to kill by drone. Seems we have heard the "sure its legal" argument before. Oh yes, Bush used it to get the information needed for Obama to find and kill Bin Laden.
It's the perfect tool against the terrorists. Cold, impersonal, giving them no chance whatsoever of taking out any of our people. All that matters to them is death and destruction, so they can have it.
Plus it might be difficult to get actual soldiers to fire on people (including women and children) in a funeral procession where as the drone doesn't care what you point it at.
It's enlightening to read what Osama bin Laden himself wrote about the drone strikes:
In a 48-page memo to Rahman written in October 2010, bin Laden told him that al Qaeda's longtime sanctuary in Pakistan's tribal areas was now too dangerous because of the campaign of American drone strikes there. The CIA had launched a record number of strikes into the tribal regions during 2010. Bin Laden wrote, "I am leaning toward getting most of our brothers out of the area."
Bin Laden advised his followers not to move around the tribal regions except on overcast days when America's all-seeing satellites and drones would not have as good visibility of the area. He complained that, "the Americans have great accumulated expertise of photography of the region due to the fact they have been doing it for so many years. They can even distinguish between houses that are frequented by male visitors at a higher rate than is normal."
Bin Laden urged his followers to depart for the remote Afghan province of Kunar where he himself had hid after escaping from U.S. forces at the Battle of Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan in December 2001, explaining that "due to its rough terrain and many mountains, rivers, trees, it can accommodate hundreds of the brothers without them being spotted by the enemy."
More drone strikes, please! I'd be willing to pay additional taxes to fund them. They are working like a charm. Osama bin Laden feared for his entire al Qaeda organization because of them.
There is nothing illegal or immoral about them. It is just another delivery system for a weapon. No different than a manned aircraft, artillery, small arms, etc. A human makes the decision and pulls the trigger like all those other systems.
It would be insane to give up our hard-earned advantage in this conflict. Will terrorists be giving up their IED's or suicide bombers anytime soon?
Unfortunately, China and every muslim country will also soon have drones, due Iran having captured one. Stalemate again.
Nah... Iran doesn't have the means and infrastructure (it takes a lot to fly these planes) to use drones effectively. But isn't this the way war goes? You develop technology, the enemy, one way or another, counters it, you have to develop more... round and round we go.
Just how it works.
gotta live long enough to use 'em.
Fielding a capable unmanned aerial system, especially a weaponized one, is much more challenging that meets the eye. It requires a technologically advanced industrial base that most of the nations you mention do not have. Furthermore, our systems are designed to be difficult to reverse-engineer if captured. Lastly, we have unquestioned air supremacy. I doubt you'll see anyone else's drones buzzing around inside our airspace for very long. We'll have this advantage for quite a while, especially against third world adversaries.
I'd personally also be willing to help fund more drone strikes. Wish there was a "donate" button that I could send funds to directly support these types of counter-terrorist operations.
It seems that what teabaggers and neocons have learned over the years is not to worry about telling the truth. Not to worry about accurately stating the past. As a teabagger and neocon-if you have a point of view that needs to be supported by truth or history you can simply make it up. Lie, change history, deny what can be shown to have taken place, even when thoughtful reasonable people could easily prove that you are lying, that you have changed history and have stated a fact that can be proven to be untrue. Because in this day and age, everybody is preaching to the choir. The only people listening to you, are the ones who share your views, who want to be lied to, who don't want to hear the truth. They want their history changed to something that tastes better to their pallates. They don't care whether they are being told the truth. They just want to hear someone ratify their belief system entirely and without a single shred of interloping reason to prove that something they believe is wrong.
WTF? Talk about tower of babble.
Amen.. Ed
omg
How does this differ from the alleged "torture" of prisoners by the Bush information? We shoot missiles at people trying to kill them and blow them to pieces, sometimes inadvertantly killing nearby innocent civilians. I am not necessarily opposed to this policy, since the blame rests with the terrorists who hide out among the innocents, but the hipocracy on the left is amazing. I guess this isn't as bad as having a dog bark at someone or depriving them of sleep; that we simply cannot tolerate!
um i don't about you but i would much rather be blown up then held indefinitely being tortured regularly. to make the comparison is silly. being tortured is extremely pain full and will last for a long time being bombed is instant, if you cant see the difference then you are a mong
oh yea and its not alleged torture, that mean that it might have not happened when we all know it happened. there reasoning is that water boarding is not torture get your facts straight... oh wait Texas that explains it
So why has your "Dear leader" Obama not closed Gitmo like promised, preached and swore up and down he would do? Nice double standard, again.
@blacksix – seriously? Who cares? I don't. You neocons are looking for everything and anything to throw at Obama. You find it self-fulfilling. Anyone (even you) could write a LARGE book on failed political promises. BOTH sides do it. Its fine to not like Obama, but self justifying your viewpoint with such attacks are infantile, vacuous and pathetic. Try something with substance pls.
"oh wait Texas that explains it"
That's exactly the type of moronic statement that I'd expect from an Obama lover. And I'm originally from NY, you idiot.
And by the way, the choice is not between "torturing" a terrorist or blowing him to pieces; it's between "torturing" a terrorist or blowing an innocent bystander to pieces. So choose instead between waterboarding someone at Gitmo or launching a Predator strike against your Mom's house.
The difference is having the ability to capture them. I'm all in favor of blowing the heck out of these people (American Citizen or not) if it is too dangerous to put soliders in to capture. Capturing would be the best way to yield more intelligence data. But the risk analysis has to show the intelligence is worth the reward. If it isn't there let the kid behind curtain hit the button.
However, the waterboarding technique is the most rediculous way to attempt to garner intelligence so its pointless to ever bring up. Studies have shown time and time again most of the intelligence gathered from physically threatening or painful techniques yield less accurate intelligence (check any military/intelligence agency interogation training manuals).
"Yes, we use drones"...That's a secret? Drones have been used in the white house for quite some time and have one now in there now- sorry, couldn't resist. I'm not sure this is something to be proud of. It just so happens that our country creates some awfully wonderful weapons to keep us safe- such as the nuclear warhead- but oddly enough, once we create them they become weapons that remove our safety as well. War has lost its meaning. To stick a shaft into another warm body and feel the quivering life leave that body through the shaft into the body of the killer while warm blood trickles down the handle upon the hands of the slayer brings an attachment and bond bewteen killer and killed that pressing buttons thousands of miles away that will result in the dropping of a bomb that kills multiple people whose eyes we will never know the color does not. Your life and mine become nothing but a shadow on some persons screen. The killer could be anyone, anything...a God sitting at a terminal or a madman just wanting kicks and we call this advancement and creating a safer world. Launch every bomb...drop every bomb- why screw around. Let's just get it done and be over with it and allow the world to return to its purity without man. If there is no God, who would care- Drone on little humans...drone on.
"humtake-–I LOVE seeing when a politician who is already doing bad flip-flops so blatantly. In 2008, Obama ADAMANTLY despised the drone war and told everyone in front of a tv that it is illegal"
This is an outright lie. I challenge you to provide even a single statement in which President Obama has ever denounced the use of drones by the United States. You won't because you can't. This is another example of the manipulation of truth by conservatives, teabaggers and repulblicans to prove a point that they can't make by stating the truth. You are a lier sir. I challenge anyone. Correction I dare anyone to find even a single instance in recorded history in which President Obama has denounced the use of drones. If you can't fine any such incident-then you have no choice but to consider the possiblility that any and all statemnets by avowed conservatives these days are in fact lies until proven otherwise by evidence
There is nothing despised that will not be used for self-preservation of the ego believing it is what is best for us all.
I notice there are no takers. I can only conclude that you teabagger hypocrits don't care to differentiate between truth and lies when it comes to attacking President Obama. Whatever.
The American government is the real terror grope that needs to be brought down!!!!!!
yep cause we drive planes into buildings, provoke countries with atomic bombs and unsuccessful missile launches. Its time you start realizing how productive a free world could be as opposed to a closed one. You're pathetic if you think we are on the wrong side...
We got your grope. Watch the skies above your location.
LOL
You Paki shit...!!!
Whatever you say and wherever you hide, our drones WILL get you...!
IN ACCORDANCE with the law? Whose law? Obama's law?
According to the constitution of the United States, the law of land, congress must vote to declare war before the president can lead us into battle.
Bombing a foreign country constitutes an act of war. According to OUR LAW, US law, the action is illegal because war has not been declared by an act of congress.
But we are America and we can bomb whoever we please – law or no law.
that's just me, hollering from the choir loft....
Of course we didn't hear your voice in outrage when the United States was led into this war.
Oh yes, I was hollering then. I've been hollering since April 30, 1975.
I'm sorry you didn't hear it then, but I am in hopes you hear it now. Seriously.
The sad fact is you need to study your history. Most "wars" this country has fought in have been undeclared wars. Several years after the revolutionary war there was a minor naval war with France, troops were sent to protect Texas from Mexico before the US had legally annexed it, all the combined "Indian Wars", etc. etc. etc.
Whether or not it is written it the Constitution a particular way even the writers of it (John Adams was President during the Naval action mentioned above) realized that in order to deal quickly with developing situations President's needed some leeway to deal with situations in case Congress was incapable or unwilling to deal with immediate threats to the country. This isn't something that came about in 1969 or even 1869 its been built into the fabric of political system and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. So unless you have a Harvard Law Degree your not telling me about, I'm gonna assume I'm more read upon the subject than you are. So yell from the Choir Loft all you want cause I don't even go to Church anymore.
Actually its US law – that was changed during the Bush admin under the Patriot Act and other "provisions". The war on terrorism allows the CIC to make those decisions. He did and will. Poof . OBL et al.. gone! Suits me fine.
As it appears from the post on here most of the public in the U.S. are truly brain washed by the government into thinking it is ok to murder people when there is no war going on. The U.S. government is stealing $2 billion a week from the american cannon fodder to fund an illegal invasion of other countries, now we murder people for what ever reason the government says is justified. It will be real funny when the American government starts murdering it's own citizens, oh ya they already have when they murdered 72 people in Waco TX of which 61 were children. And those poor people broke no laws yet were murdered by the U.S. government people need to wake up the American government is the largest terror threat on the planet !
Your an idiot. Waco, really you bring that up. Using crazies as an example does not help you.
Illegal? What's law? Words on paper? NO.
That which comes out of the end of a gun, a cannon or drops from the belly of an airplane IS LAW. Force is law. American foreign AND DOMESTIC policy comes out of the end of a gun or bomb.
American law is naked force. Bombs abroad, stand your ground at home.
When innocents suffer at home and abroad, what recourse do they have? Harsh language?
"...he added that the nation is at war."
This is a lie straight out of Orwell. It is a rhetorical flourish meant to justify anything. Only Congress can declare war and has not done so against anyone. That's in the Constitution. When we are actually at war, there are various legal and bureaucrat changes that take effect, none of which are currently happening (such as changes in the ability to renounce U.S. citizenship). It is irresponsible leadership to make up the rules to fit the politics. It is irresponsible journalism to allow such a claim to be presented without context or challenge.
Declared or undeclared, people are equally dead. In a war zone I have never been asked "Are you here legally?""...let me see your license to kill." It's easy to tell who will never move beyond a keyboard.
Obama administration: Yes, we ARE drones
As opposed to the previous administration: Can i get a pillow and a blanky? It's nap time.
So Obama said [ "President Obama said here five years ago, if another nation cannot or will not take action, we will ] Does this not make us terrorists as well? I'm glad that Osama is dead however is what we did terrorism as well in executing the plan to eliminate Osama? We went into another country with no authority to be there... OY
Avenging the deaths of over 3000 American civilians does not make one a terrorist country. Perhaps you should look up the definition of terrorist prior to posting.
NO! Use your head. We're not using nukes to get these people, or drones that aren't controlled by people which pick their own targets. Terrorism is basically political activism that resorts to the most extreme measures, mainly to use fear as a weapon. We don't send drones to try and scare terrorists into agreeing with us. We send them because some circumstances pose a high and unacceptable risk to the lives of troops, but we still can't afford to not act or let people escape. Im in the military, and I'd MUCH rather see ,u tax dollars spent to buy a new drone than to pay for a fellow soldier's burial. So what next, complaining that we shoot people from a distance instead of use swords? The ONLY reason there's even criticism of drone use ow, is because OBAMA is doing it. America let Dick Cheney go on the news and DEFND torture, and Repukes voters applauded when Michelle Bachmann's and Herman Cain defended waterboarding during a debate, but then somehow Obama's a bad guy because he uses methods that DON'T cause casualties like what we saw during the height of the occupation? B...S..
Enjoy the Drones. They are Bush's fault, too. When Bush used the drones, it was horrible and evil. Now that Obama does it, it is ok. Nice messed up double standard, criminal liberal media. Why no crucifixion of Obama considering gas prices are higher now than they ever were during the Bush presidency? Why no say that unemployment is higher now than when Obama took over? Where is the hope and change we were promised?
Yawn
Double Yawn...
Shut up.
Yawn. Fart. Yawn again.
So is this media that informs you of the policy the "criminal liberal media" you're referring to? Too bad you aren't brave enough to think outside a bubble.
YOU are the one in the bubble. It's just a much bigger one, so you can't tell.
I see the response you received from some lefties agreed with you completely. (Yawn, fart and repeat means you've won the argument and they agree the lame stream media is biased.) Good job.
Joe- the one fallacy with your argument is that most media is not "lame stream" as the neocons like to label it. Ever heard of talk radio? Faux Noise channel posing as news (vs propaganda), or Breitbart and other "media outlets". There's FAR MORE right-wing media attempting to brainwash red state populus (mostly southern, mostly illiterate and uneducated) into believing that any neocon led Govt. is going to do something to benefit the poor weak fools that fall for the speel.
I liked the drones when Bush used them too. The drones are the reason Al Qaeda has been marginalized. OBL said so himself in the memos they found. The drone program is good. Sending hundred of thousands to war for no reason is bad.
What makes us look worse:
1) One out of 30,000 US soldiers losing his mind and going on a civilian killing spree, or
2) A drone strike targeting the enemy that also kills civilians unintentionally
So we can use drones to kill terroists that can't be captured and this is justified to save innocent lives. Yet for some odd reason it is not O.K. to use enhanced interrogation (torture to liberals) that does no physical harm but can get information to save inocent lives. So it is justified to kill them but not to interrogate them without harm. Since these terrorists are not part of a nation's army or even in uniform – there are no rules or laws that applies to them. But the very concept that killing them is fine but you can't do enhanced interrogration that does them no physical harm is really a joke.
Get waterboarded yourself and tell me if it's harmful. There are many things worse than death, and the cruel things that were justified under the Bush administration were among them. We "liberals," meaning everyone else in the world who you don't agree with, were appalled. You want an instant terrorist? Show your enemy torturing one of your countrymen.
Waterboarding was responsible for the information gathered that led us to OBL. Without waterboarding we would never have learned the identity of the courrier that led us to OBL. CIA operatives were trainned on his cell phone and when he turned it on at OBL's location is when we found him.
Cut the ISH Clint. You have NEVER seen evidence that waterboarding led to squat, which is why all the waterboarding Bush and Cheney did DIDN'T lead them to Osama and they NEVER caught him. How STUPID are people? First you believed there were WMD. Then you believed that if we didn't.'t stay there they'd follow us home, even though the terrorists we fight are NOT part of any uniformed military, and don't have to obey orders from any government to stay anywhere. Now you elieve that Bush actually got the info that caught bin laden, even though Bush NEVER caught him and even SAID he had no idea where bin laden was in an interview? Grow the FK up.
Explain that to the people (kids, women, babies) who happen to be near the target. Duh. Stop drinking the kool-aid and think for yourself.
Joe you can go sell that ISH to all the kids and innocents you t-bags giddily tortured, shocked and awed, and then choke on it.
Osama Bin Laden was found after many years of intelligence analysis, most of which occurred before the Obama administration. Politicians had very little to do with it. At least during the Bush years we captured people and interrogated them (oh no, I mean "tortured") now all we do is kill them from afar, kind of like how Clinton did it with cruise missiles before 9-11. Obama gets credit for ordering the raid; don't give him so much for "finding" Bin Laden.
Drones save American lives and anyone against our country using drones is against our troops.
President Obama gave us his word as a candidate he would go after terrorists regardless of what country.
“if we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will.”
Candidate Romney, aka chickenhawk republican who got deferments out of being drafted and spent the Vietnam war living in a French Castle, had this to say about Candidate Obama's comments: “ill-timed” and “ill-considered” “there is a war being waged by terrorists of different types and nature across the world. We want, as a civilized world, to participate with other nations in this civilized effort to help those nations reject the extreme with them.” AND “it’s not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.”
Of course now that President Obama followed up on what he said he would do, R-Money says he'd have done the same thing and then disparages former President Carter in the same breath.
Mitt the Sh*t isn't just a etch-a-sketch, he's a coward and a chickenhawk. Another fortunate son who couldn't begin to give an order to fire a missle or a drone or a terrorist. The only firing Mittens is comfortable with and really enjoys is firing Americans.
"The program utilizes unmanned aerial vehicles, often equipped with Hellfire missiles, to target al Qaeda operatives in remote locations overseas – often on the territory of U.S. allies such as Pakistan and Yemen. Brennan said the United States "respects national sovereignty and international law" and is guided by the laws of war in ordering those attacks."
We are not at war with Pakistan. AND NO INTERNATIONAL LAW permits this, or the murder of any civilians.
Some person(s) or criminal sociopaths that BADLY need to be prosecuted and quickly for MURDER.
That's the only legal concern here. Violation of due process to prosecute MURDER of women children and other civilians over and over again.
It's a bit pathetic when you have to wait for God to deal with these disgusting murderers in our government, and watch our society fall into disgusting disgrace as we all must take the blame for murdered children that our government refuses to prosecute and instead actually CONDONES. Truly a very SICK society we are part of here in this country - VERY VERY SICK AND DISGUSTING child murder accepting society.
Move away then Peachy
Pakistan can shove it!! They are made because the cannot protect their terrorist friends from drones.
What I'm confused about is why aren't some of those countries shooting those damned drones out of the air, what's stopping them from doing that?
I LOVE seeing when a politician who is already doing bad flip-flops so blatantly. In 2008, Obama ADAMANTLY despised the drone war and told everyone in front of a tv that it is illegal and only through the cooperation of the countries and humans carrying out operations can we succeed. Now, 4 years later, here he is doing exactly the opposite. He's not getting permission to send in drones. He's not working with the other governments. He's doing exactly what he said was wrong. What Change?
It seems he learned about the drone war in office and decided it was less reprehensible than sending our boys into a meat grinder. This wasn't about bowing to political winds, it's trusting the generals to wage the war. You clearly hate President Obama personally, but he was right to change his mind about this even if it cost him politically.
It's not the generals waging war with Predator strikes, it's the CIA assassinating people. War is not supposed to be clean and painless. It's easy to go on with your own life and forget about it if it is a CIA remote pilot killing some guy over in Afghanistan. But when it's our sons and daughters dying we seem to care about it a little bit more.
You know the Big O is lying when you see his lips moving.
This is an outright lie. I challenge you to provide even a single statement in which President Obama has ever denounced the use of drones by the United States. You won't because you can't. This is another example of the manipulation of truth by conservatives, teabaggers and repulblicans to prove a point that they can't make by stating the truth. You are a lier sir. I challenge anyone. Correction I dare anyone to find even a single instance in recorded history in which President Obama has denounced the use of drones. If you can't fine any such incident-then you have no choice but to consider the possiblility that any and all statemnets by avowed conservatives these days are in fact lies until proven otherwise by evidence.
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/killin/
OBAMA IS A DRONE
We are making awfully smart drones these days.
Id rather use drones than troops lives any day. Terrorists need to die and should never feel safe.
We justify war in the Middle East with the primary motive of wanting to ensure human rights and to spread democracy. Ensuring human rights can only be realized when every human being is afforded due process. Due process is not reserved for Americans or citizens of friendly nations. Due process is an inalienable inherent human right for all people.
That a government for the people and by the people should engage in collateral murder is criminal despite haughty legal arguments that are hollow and weakly constructed.
What of democracy? Any government official who condones and supports the use of drones that invariably kill innocent people should be recalled, replaced, fired, or made redundant. Such a person needs counseling, might benefit from medication, or at the very least deserves a full psychological evaluation.
Remote murder is a heinous act. And, it is murder unless the person killed was afforded due process and convicted of a capital crime.
Why mince words? The Obama administration condones murder without due process and is willing to kill innocent lives.
Does it really matter that someone has a US passport to avoid being murdered? That smacks of genocide.
Murder is murder even if a drone does it. How can we kill innocent people in Pakistan, a sovereign nation that we have not declared war on, and expect to get away with it morally, politically, financially, or ethically?
Who cares about the legality of it? It is obvious that the legal process and legal foundations of this country have been severely breached by over thinking very simple concepts. Live is sacred and the pursuit of happiness is mute when a drone erroneously has its ammo trained on you.
Obama is a Harvard trained lawyer. I took one business law course in college. Even I know the use of drones is illegal.
Just because there are laws on the books that keep drones flying and KILLING does not mean those laws are just.
Every man, alleged criminal or otherwise, supposed enemy combatant or not, deserves due process.
If the laws do not support this, then the laws must change. If the justice system does not ensure this, then it must be repaired. If the military acts contrary to the US Constitution, it must be reigned in.
The US Constitution will survive, but the ill-constructed laws that act contrary to it will perish. We the people must never forget that. And it takes work everyday to ensure the Constitution is protected.
Don't stand for any assault on the Constitution. Murder is always wrong no matter how convoluted and fear-based the justifications.
If we cannot deliver due process for every human being, we need not waste time exporting our brand of democracy.
Without due process democracy becomes stagnant, then corrupted, and eventually it mutates into tyranny. Obama's callousness has the distinct flavor of a tyrant to me. I am most displeased!
And, how many American voters even know what due process is?
Therein lies the problem. Most Americans have never read the US Constitution so why can we expect them to uphold it? Fight for it? Die for it? And most importantly, rely on it?
Exporting democracy means honoring all human beings with the same inalienable rights we hold so sacred. Crafting other nations' constitutions after ours means being true to our own Constitution as much as we would be to theirs that we just enlightened.
We are human beings first. Citizenship, or lack of the right one, should not be a convenient excuse for a death warrant- or any other means to discriminate against any other human being.
Capital punishment is wrong. But at least those convicted of such can sit on death row awaiting a second chance on appeal.
What about innocent school children in Pakistan? Why are they instantly condemned to die while a serial murderer is allowed to survive on death row for 20 years?
I am so very tired of innocent people of all persuasions and nationalities suffering much more horrible fates than convicted murderers in America for one simple fact- they do not hold a US passport.
Do you really think that the worst American criminal deserves more rights than a young girl in a small village on the "wrong" side of the planet?
Your simple minded statements completely ignore the fact that seriously evil people exist in the world, and one of their most offensive tactics is to hide behind innocent people. Grow up and put the blame where it belongs.
On American Imperialism.
And how do you feel about the thousands of Iraqi's that died as a result of the US invasion?
Drones have a smaller footprint than an invasion. On that note, I side with drones over full engagement. I don't enjoy war, but I recognize there are nutjobs running some countries in small hidden places. And Pakistan doesn't have the balls to stop our drone attacks. They are playing both sides of this Al Qaeda war, and the less they see us in their country, the better. If we can't get in and pull suspected bomb builders and terrorist planners out of a country because that country is incapable of helping us, then release the drones o them
"Obama is a Harvard trained lawyer. I took one business law course in college"
stopped reading right there. probably took one psychology class too before dropping out. that explains your tl;dr post.
Shhh... hear that noise? That's the USA sliding down a slippery slope. We meddle in other countries ... they hate us ... we bomb them ... they hate us more ... we bomb them more .... America is dead.
You forget that America has some powerful friends who are more than happy they are cleaning house and protecting us. America bombs evil bastards, and many of us love them for it. Glad to be America's neighbors, they are a damn sight better than most nations out there. America we stand beside you.
Killing should never be easy. It's important that, when it's necessary, it be a visceral thing – something that's thought through and requires will to act in the face of a real person. Turning it into a video game reduces people to meaningless dots on a screen that few people will truly associate with real lives that they're bringing to an end. If you want someone(s) dead, have the stones to look them in the eye before you do it and decide for yourself if you can live with killing this very real person in front of you.
That's a great idea however the "people" that want these people to die will ever be the one's pulling the trigger it will be our brothers and sons pulling that trigger and dealing with the repercussions of those actions.
I have no problem with our government approach. These countries allow the terrorist to use their countries as bases and training grounds. They make themselves a military target. These terrorist hide among their own people using them as shields. Until the people and governments of these countries fight or expel the terrorist they themselves will be at risk, by their own doing.
Exactly right. Great post!
there are no civilians in pakistan especially the news media
If they want their land free of drones, they should make their land free of targets. Pitch in and eliminate the vermin that fuel the fire. Get off their hands and stop the reliance on America to fight their stupid battles.
If Israel were to attack Iran's nuclear development facilities and innocent Iranian citizens were killed, and if the US assisted in some way; and it was shown that Iran did NOT have any nuclear weapons at the time, using our country's logic would Iran be justified in using drones to go after Israel's leadership? And God forbid, does that not open up the US to attack?
If Iran goes to war with Israel and they don't find the WMD's, it will be Bush's fault. If they do, Obama will declare himself a national hero and give himself the Medal of Honor.
Hey Black.. award yourself the medal of idiot. Makes about as much sense as your post. Ranks right up there with most right wing spoutrage.
Go drones! Kick some terrorist butt!
Who cares? They've been using drones for years. I have no problem with that
Use whatever means possible, pull any Ace to end this scourge. We developed this technology for the very purpose it's being used. To save our military's lives and equipment, as well as the lives we are protecting.
They told me if I voted for McCain things like this would happen.
White House : " Yes, we S U C K".
So much HOt air on these comments. You would sure B%$#& if we got attacked and didn;t use drone. So I suggest you just Shut UP if you don't understand what you are talking about. If you don't like the way this country is protecting itself, please leave and you will see how safe you feel somewhere else. You all a pathetic
Launching cruise missles at Khadafi did nothing to protect the national security of the US - we are no more safer for it.
do do do do, do do do do, Elmo's world!
Use of drones is another example of US not following international and regarding life outside its borders. I'm against the use of drones.
According to the UN Charter, there must be explicit Security Council authorization for all uses of violence against a sovereign nation. We don't have that for our drone strikes. And according to the US Constitution Article 6 Clause 2, me must obey international treaties like the UN Charter, in fact they are the "supreme law of the land."
So no, these strikes are absolutely not conducted "in full accordance with the law."
@MV : "there must be explicit Security Council authorization for all uses of violence against a sovereign nation." These strikes are not "against a sovereign nation." they are against murderers in those nations. And if a nation complains to the U.N., we can reasonably argue that they are harboring (supporting?) terrorists.
The UN is a complete waste of time, just like you are
Your logic would make sense if we were in fact attacking a sovereign nation, however, we are attacking a terrorist organization not a sovereign nation. Last time I checked terrorist organizations are not offered protection under international laws...
Two things: So first off they are concerned that other countries might attain this technology and be capable of doing to us what we have been doing to them. There's a reason why the term blowback is used. Apparently they still haven't gotten the hint that with some of these strikes we incite more hatred and cause more problems. Secondly I doubt they can seriously argue that all these strikes were legal. Of course in cases like where they assassinated a 16 year old American we have no idea about the legality of it because it seems to be so legal that the American people can't know anything about any of the evidence.
thats their whole idea of foreign policy.
Everone thought It was alright till they started wars.
All thoes foreign policy people try to rob something, it always was easier to hang a spy from a rich family overseas than a traitor. – everyone figured it better their out of the country .
What make them believe their delusional legal conclusions are not criminal, their unbridled abuse of power ? There's you history.
get some coffee or get some sleep
Only cowards use drones, you got that..dog eater bama?
So instead of attacking KNOWN anti coalition militants using drones we should stick a few manned aircraft on 24 hour+ missions in Afghanistans hot spots? THINK people THINK, there is no loss of life on our side using drones, and if you don't know anything about a hellfire missle it's very accurate and rarely misses its target.
BWAHAHAHA ! you cretin! What an incredulous statement! You'd rather send 1,000 troops into a mountainous or heavily afforested region versus a drone? Perhaps you should move to Pakistan?
CNN- you need to ACTUALLY start moderating this blog. People like Steve M should NOT be allowed to rant and rave his obscenities like some drunk in a bar. If you can't be troubled to moderate, shut the stupid blog down.
I have no problem with drone attacks. It took decades to develop the thechonolgy.
LOL
Sorry to all i have trolled for so long, I am desperate for attention and this is the only way i can interact with real humans. Thank you very much
The scary thing about your comment is that you're an actual human being typing that at a computer consciously acknowledging that you lack human contact. Call your mother.
With as much as war monger as Obama is, I'm still amazed at how much the Republicans hate him. One thing's for sure, after he got one the Nobel Peace Prize has lost all of its meaning.
And what do you suggest? For everyone complaining about these attacks, what alternative do you suggest? It's okay just to let these murderers plan and carry out their attacks in peace? No? Then how do you suggest we stop them? Hope that we stop every attack just before it happens? Rely on the will and capabilities of the countries that harbor them? Send thousands of our young men and women to their deaths invading other countries? What? So stop the name calling, stop complaining and offer up a viable solution, please! And while you all are working on that, I'll support the Administration in their efforts because, last time I checked, it's workling!
Here's the legal reason the government can kill Al-Alawki, which they won't explain to you. Its precedent is in the political philosophy of the ancient Greeks, and earlier. The Executive as Commander-In-Chief has extra-judicial authority in certain matters of criminal activity, at all turns. If you think about it, there is no other way to guarantee the safety of a nation-state than to invest the Executive with this authority. A cheap counterbalance is the Presidential Pardon, another example of extra-judicial authority that is steeped in the tradition and technical philosophy of Democracies. All Presidents have the authority to order the military to strike any target, that "unfortunate fact" alluded to by Brennan. I don't often disagree with the ACLU, but here I think they are wrong – I don't think people spend enough time learning about the past to understand the present.
Incorrect.Every american citzen has a right to a trial by jury of his or her peers.Regardless of what they did they are entitled to that right.
Once apprehended, yes. Are you saying that a US Citizen who pulls a gun on a cop can't be fatally shot legally? If any US Citizen is showing clear intent to commit murder and it is demonstrated that non-lethal force cannot prevent such an act, law enforcement is within their rights to use lethal force. In this case the individual is overseas and outside our law enforcement's reach, so our armed services are functioning as law enforcement. Yeah, I see the counter-arguments to this. But by no means is this an unambiguous legal matter.
Dancing I do tend to agree with that assesment,but here is a little fact that escapes everyone.The cuurent administration also targeted al awlaki's underage american national son and killed him with a drone strike.And guess what he didnt have a thing to do with his fathers ignorant rantings or postings on the internet which last I heard was not a capital offense.Oh thats right he was complicit in 9/11 yeah just like hussein .I do not weep for thoose tools but I do weep for the people of america who can now be assasinated here at home or abroad.It is absolutely disgusting to see people talking like this .I have personally seen the effects of this war on multiple fronts.I have personally felt loss,And I have personally seen the damage we can do to innocents in these actions we take.No MORE WARS UNLESS THEY ARE DECLARED AND WE HAVE A DRAFT!
This Towel Head Ameican gave up his right
Well stated, Mr. Harper.
Well stated,but factually incorrect.
Bomb anyone who impedes on the CIA's Afghan based heroin business.
Predator Drones: Helping to win the hearts and minds of indigenous people one Hellfire missile at a time.
Indigenous Peoples' hearts are too easily swayed, then..
Price of a a General atomics Predator drown $4.5 – $10.0 Mil, price of Boing F-18 Hornet $29.0 – $57.0 Mil. Yet they can accomplish the same mission. Pilots are expensive to train and fast becoming obsolete. Abama's administration is right for using a drone, it is just economics.
Every article that I read confirms one thing....that Obama is a complete idiot.
Yes Jeff, the article that you read about Obama's order to kill OBL also must have lead you to the same conclusion and must have made you ashamed of your President. Now we can sure tell who is the real Idiot. Thank you. Now you may go drink your Tee.
It's Ok, if Bush had done it, this guy would have a shrine set up in his living room.
That trailer trash Bush needed a diversion.
He too is a puppet that supports a secret government.
Yes jeff and you seem to be as smart as anyother Towel head.
HR 658. that's all i have to say. goodnight.
What amaze's me is that we allow a goverment of men/women to pass legilation like Ndaa 2012 which ALLOWS ,but does not REQUIRE the U.S. Military to conduct these types of operations here in america against american citizens.Way to go guys/gals the soldiers over there fight for our rights,freedom,and security over here and we do nothing to defend thoose rights or thoose soldiers here at home.Douchebags.........
The technology is here. They will be used.
Wow. Jesus. You're like a fucking prophet.
Drones are the perfect weapons for XXI century's wars. Able to fly undetected in missions too dangerous for a human pilot, mass produced, perfect killing machines.
Maybe the US is finally finding a way to deal with guerrilla wars and rogue nations. Blockage and isolation, followed by drone attacks.
That's the fucking idea, Einstein. We kill them, they have no chance of killing us. No shit, it's not rocket science.
Skynet is being built right before our eyes.
i personally dont see the problem in this technological advancement. if there "droid"units are helping the problem of terrorism, them i am all for it.
My problem is that we are setting precedents for other nations to use drones to attack their terroists which could be our freedom fighters. I expect China to use them for their terroists that wont unite Tiawan back with their motherland. Possibly Russia with their Chechen terroists who live in Europe and the US.
"President Obama and those of us on his national security team are very mindful that as our nation uses this technology, we are establishing precedents that other nations may follow," he said. "And not all of them will be nations that share our interests or the premium we put on protecting human life, including innocent civilians."
We continue to set precedents that one day could and probably will be used against our country and captured soldiers or citizens who disagree with their point of view. It is hard to say that we we put a premium on protecting innocent civilians with almost 100,000 killed in Iraq.
I am a democrat and liberal who is digusted with this administration and will not vote for the first time. The president feels that we will just fall in line, but the true base has giving up on him.
You are neither a democrat nor a liberal, but just a troll which is very evident. You talk like one of those on Romney's team with flowery language but no message. Did you ever realize you are comparing apples to oranges by bringing Iraq into the picture. Drones did not kill the Iraq civilians you are shedding crocodile tears for. And Obama put an end to the so called meaningless war you are complaining about in Iraq. Obviously you are not happy about it since you don't even want to mention it. Drones are legitimately used in Pakistan – for a good reason. I guess you would rather have a ground war with a nuclear armed Pakistan? Now we can all see you for what you truly are – a neocon war mongerer walking in a democratic skin.
a**hole I am a democrat and liberal. First, I was Dean Dozen canidate along with then running for Sen Obama. Second, I worked for several canidates including Howard Dean and others. I have worked with the party for years. So, talk all the BS you want. If you post a phone number I will call you and you will learn real quick that I am for real and a long core supporter. Also, my son is the campaign manager right now for a sen canidate and has been the manager for several campaigns.
@lib – be disgusted. Don't vote. Apathy rules. You vote will then go to the neocons who want to take us back to the failed trickle-down Bush policies, that Obama is beginning to straighten. Perhaps you should look at the alternatives before deciding that what we have really isn't that bad.
What other form of deterrent is going to work for these terrorists? They surround themselves within non-combatants to be able to use innocent folks (including immediate family) in protecting them, knowing full well that they could be targeted at any time. It's reverse propaganda. Seems like your sucking it up!
Obama didn't put an end to anything in Iraq. The Bush administration near the end of his term negotiated an agreement with Iraq that called for withdrawal of tropps by a set date, and Obama just complied with it. The negotiations were ongoing for some time, so chances are he already knew something about what was in that agreement when he was campaigning (something he seems to do constantly.) Like everything else he does, he blames George Bush whenever something doesn't go right and claims credit for it when it does. He's pathetic.
The problem is we are trying to fight a war using the same laws of war and rules of engagement developed when war was fought between states with an established (and uniformed) military. That's no longer the case and we must fight using a different rule book, i.e., this "isn't a new ballgame, it's a whole new sport" (a metaphor; I'm NOT equating war to sport).
Do you read? I mean, do you comprehend what you read? Because it's exactly the opposite of that. We are nowapproving of raids and strikes we never would have years before due to chance of success rising and the fact that our actionable intelligence has risen.. and our CINC now listens to us and not his "gut".
We should extend the drone strikes to Quetta, even parts of Lahore and Karachi. if we are serious about rooting out this evil.
Many of these large Pakistani cities provide shelter to a large number of Al-Qaeda and their zillion cousin organizations incl. LeT, LeJ, TTP, TNFJ, Sipah Mohammed, Jaish E-Mohammed,HUM, HUJI, HUT, TNSM, HMA, HUA etc. etc. train and plan terrorist attacks with assistance from the Pakistani ISI, Military, Govt, and inturn the Pakistani people.
Add to this the self declared Pakistani ISLAMIC BOMB and we sure have potently a suicidal mix.
Just read excerpts from David Armstrong’s book "America and the Islamic Bomb – The Deadly Compromise". You can read important parts of the book on Google books.
Next comes the potent radical elements within the Muslim Diaspora in the west....just watch the move "The Siege" starring Denzel Washington.
Unless we evolve a comprehensive strategy to counter these threats (disregarding protestations by Islamic Supporters like CNN's own Mr. FAREED ZAKARIA and others) America and the free world will never be safe from radical Islamic extremism.
Nobody knows this better than the CIA, FBI, MI6, Indian RAW, and the Israeli MOSSAD, who are all working in tandem to root out this monster (NOT merely Tame them!).
Amit, you such a f***g hindu idiot to talk in a filthy language. You should go back to your filthy slumdog millionoire country.....you don't belong to a clean western country. How quickly you forgot that you hindus were slaves for hundreds of years to both christian britishers and muslims. So now you got few nuclear bombs to started talking like super power.....while you can't still feed 70% of your population.
You are right Amit.
And Ekram is out of his mind.
As a matter of fact, he (Ekram) seems to prefer getting the US solders killed instead of drone attacks and this is the first step of being a terrorist...!!!
Ekram, why don't go back to your beloved Pakistan and join a terrorist org? That way at least we can take you out with the help of a drone?
PEACE IN OUR TIME!!!!
Whoops.
I'm sure McCain would have given that to you... hahahaha never mind you'd be at war with Syria. Yup. Peace. Have fun with that, hope it finishes you off at night... God knows Palin doesn't anymore.
It is interesting how the democrats have become the war mongers now, politely excusing terrorist tactics to kill blindly in sovereign lands.
It will be even more interesting to see what happens when other nations harness this technology,
Actually, the Democrats are not mongering anything, they are WINNING.
I know you Republicans have held the leash on the "War-Monger" thing, your boy Bush got over 6,000 of us killed in his two wars, but it's cool for you to say targeted strikes on actionable intelligence are bad... Wait, what am I sayig? You're a fucking moron in his mom's basement that doesn't know jack fucking shit. Please come join us in the Marines, you pole smoking dick face. I'll be glad to take you to the front line and let you experience the pleasure of getting your vehicle blown the fuck up underneath you and how a severe concussion lets you occasionally experience ringing in your head that lasts 12+ hours. Please thank your dick beater president for that.
It doesnt mean take much to be a deskbound remf rambo.Put up or shut up,where/when did you deploy.
Obama's big stick.
NO WAY!!!! We use drones??? I thought we just spent BILLIONS of $$$ to fly them around in movies. Next thing you know were going to find out that we ACTUALLY did go to the moon and that the Avengers are real. Drones... Wow!!!
My problem is that we are setting precedents for other nations to use drones to attack their terroists which could be our freedom fighters. I expect China to use them for their terroists that wont unite Tiawan back with their motherland. Possibly Russia with their Chechen terroists who live in Europe and the US.
"President Obama and those of us on his national security team are very mindful that as our nation uses this technology, we are establishing precedents that other nations may follow," he said. "And not all of them will be nations that share our interests or the premium we put on protecting human life, including innocent civilians."
We continue to set precedents that one day could and probably will be used against our country and captured soldiers or citizens who disagree with their point of view. It is hard to say that we we put a premium on protecting innocent civilians with almost 100,000 killed in Iraq.
I am a democrat and liberal who is digusted with this administration and will not vote for the first time. The president feels that we will just fall in line, but the true base has giving up on him.
Well, I'm a republican who went moderate when McCain picked a dumbass retard as his running mate... I want to say I'll hold out again, but if half the fucking comments here are real I'll vote Obama just to cancel out one of these tin-foil hat fuck-tards.
lol, Steve.
Hmmmm…….. is this more morally righteous then “water boarding”??????? Judge, jury and trial by a silent missile flying at mach 2….what a perfect terror weapon
So your all for another 911?? Your talking about protecting people who would kill you, your family, and dog in a heart beat. Go Obama!! Get them all.
Water-boarding is a non lethal use of force. Drone are quite lethal. And effective. Too bad for the terrorist scum at the end of the missile.
Water boarding is an interrogation technique generally recognized as torture.
Drones are surgical strike weapons used to kill enemy combatants.
A little more clear?
I think you guys would actually agree... did you read the post?
Does anyone stop to question whether these men are actually terrorists trying to bring destruction to America. Or if they are just local insurgents, and/or men who just don't support the U.S. invading their homeland??? How in the world can this country say it's domestically legal in the U.S. to launch drone attacks into another countries airspace, onto people within it's borders? How do we have that right? No one gave us that right but ourselves.
Exactly. Most of the poor SOBs we bomb are just men trying to repel foreigners from their land.
No they are not and you know it. These "men" are religious fanatics that have no respect for life whatsoever. Death at the end of a missile is too lenient for them.
According to the intel seized from Al Qaeda, including OBL, these are terrorists that pose a threat to the US. Why would they publish handbooks on avoiding drone strikes? Why do the seized electronics records complain about the loss of their men to drone strikes and the "all seeing satellites"? I'm sure you'll come up with some type of conspiracy theory.
It's wrong to water board, but OK to kill them, what a pile of it.
joeinalabama my ass.
Joe A$$ gonna be used in Prison fo sho whitey
god I wish you knew how many military members supported the president. I'd love to take a fat dump all over your "Amerikuh" campaign. I can't wait for the re-election.
Sometimes good people have to do bad things to detroy evil in this world. Drones are good, continue using them to exterminate the cochroach vermin. But, do consider drop leaflets all over Afganistan telling the enemy we are going to have a major ground fource invasion. Wait about 2 weeks while the terrorists get ready. Whent he time comes, simply drop a single nuetron bomb, it is clean and leaves all structures standing. All the terrorists wil lbe dead and the good
people of Afganistan can come back to bury the dead and continue life peacfully.
A roach hotel by any other name.
You are wrong. Maybe you should do some research into what a neutron bomb really is. It is still a thermonuclear weapon its energy is still measured in the kiloton range. Thus it will still do substantial damage to surrounding structures. The bomb is also meant to release much more radiation than the standard nuclear weapon, still making the area unusable. This is a precise example of allowing people to express opinions based off of ignorance.
one Drone in the air is 100 fewer "boots on the ground"...way to save American lives...who cares about Pakistani "concerns"'.
Give me a break, us drones whenever possible. Where were the so called human rights activist after 9/11?
If your plotting to kill Americans then u suffer the consequences. Stop sympathizing
with these killers!
"Drop the bomb! Exterminate them all!" – Colonel Walter E. Kurtz
Colonel Walter E. Kurtz was called "kurz" for a reason.
We already knew that and not just overseas.
We use drones....says the Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
What fairytale world are you living in. There are people who wish to do you, me and others harm and we
have to defend/protect against that, end of story.
" Peace Through Superior Fire-power"...I like the concept.
Amen!
Peace comes at a price. Use common sense or move to Pakistan and defend that country from within their borders. They will slit your throat the min they realize your are American (for no other reason) seriously!
NAH UH Obama, ya don't say. Really? My goodness I never knew that. Get outta town man.
Yeah! Cause Our buddy mormon Romney will do so much betturh! hurh hurh! You fucktard....
@ Steve M – You have real problems sir, I hope you get the help you need.
Hey Steve M, why don't you learn to speak some of the English language. Your constant use of imaginative vulgar words doesn't impress anybody, although it might explain why you think Obama is the great savior.
Wait, I'm sorry, let me type this again S...L...O...W...E...R...so you can read it.
This is a scummy method. Lets get out of war. Its worthless. Noting is being change. People hate us more than when Bush was in office.
Obama..... just sucks so bad as a president. We need another one like Ron Paul.
Ron Paul 2012
Ron Paul needs to be in a convalescent home, stop dreaming.
Ron Paul 1864
Stop being Pussies!! I guess if Hitler was alive today you wouldn't use a drone to take him out.
Face it, there are bad people out there, the reality is you can't save everyone.
meh...we already know they use drones THERE, big deal; when's Obama gonna come out and say they use drones HERE...?
Obama just won't say the collateral damage of civilians is much higher due to the drones.
If you want to talk about collateral damage, what about our troops. I mean really?? You would rather see one of ours fall. War is a deadly game, how about we make it their loss.
What an un-educated comment...
Sharky, first learn how these things work and then speak.
If we decide to send the live troops there, a lot of civilians WILL get killed, whereas the drones are more precise and are not scared of someone who MIGHT be a terrorist.
I am all for the drone attacks compared to sending real troops and putting them in danger.
Needles to say, those muslim terrorists don't deserve to live anyway. So why not use machines and take them out? Don't you want to save civilians which WILL be killed by those terrorists if we don't kill them?
Actually, collateral damage is much more limited using drones. Strikes are surgical in nature and designed to minimize loss of human life. Strikes are called off at times due to proximity of civilians.
Would you rather a darn good old school carpet bombing?
It would appear that the true terrorists can be found on Pennsylvania Ave.
Unless al-quaeda has made it there, we think NOT,
You use drones to kill people
I’m one of those people who collected unemployment for 3 years. Now I’m allowed to abuse the welfare system along with food stamps and I also get my heating oil and cell phone fully subsidized. Your darn right I’m voting for Obama, I don’t want to be forced to look for a job. Now I’m fully and completely dependent on the Government. Now I’ve joined an army of entitlement voters that don’t want to lose their goodies, Obama bought my vote, I like my free goody bag of handouts!
your an idiot, get a job you lazy SOB
This guy is a troll.
People like you are the reason why i quit working and quit paying taxes
Nice, another idiot my taxes have to support. Maybe you should move to Lebanon for a little target practice!
You've been unemployed for three years because you haven't been looking. Sometimes you have to make a commitment to moving. If you refuse, that's laziness. Sometimes you have to make a commitment to starting over, or working your way back to the top, even if that means taking the part-time job as a waiter or something to the like. Since the thought of restaurants comes to mind, start your own business.
I feel remorse for those out of work; but I feel no remorse for those who have been out of work for as long as you have. It is, in the kindest diction, laziness. There are thousands of opportunities out there in this country. The world just doesn't revolve around where you live, ya know.
Ha Ha. What a BSer. Just to stir up the baggers.
Hahahahaha.... this guy is clearly just trying to get under the skin of the anti-obama posters. And he seems to be doing a great job! Lol.... I bet he works and makes good money too!
Fake. Or creative writing, if you prefer.
People, people. Do you not recognize sarcasm when it jumps up and bites you on the behind? Holy cow, anyway.
Hey Fox news technician, stop strolling around like a troll – go back to your job and stop pretending you have no job. Go, go now back to your cubicle.
Amen brother. I want the constitution amended so Obama can be elected to a THIRD term. Or how about President for Life.
LOL
Most of the above posters (flaming JerPell) are either ultra-dumb or non-english speakers (or both)...:).
He is clearly taunting those who are Obama supporters for abusing the welfare system...!!!
He (JerPell) clearly hates Obama Administration and especially those jobless losers abusing our tax money, more than most of us do...lol
Let's not think of HIM ever again. It's creepy.
Who? God? I agree, very creepy.
I do not understand how the obama administration can refuse to waterboard but will kill using drones.
I don't see how your two subjects are related, and I don't see how you can compare them. It's the apples compared to oranges problem.
so waterboarding to obtain information is torture but killing someone with a drone is not – is that how you understand it?
Go find Lucy.
a drone is nothing but a human controlled remote control airplane. It is not autonomous, like in the movie STEALTH. The plane is flown from a distance via satellite link, versus the pilot sitting in it.
Mark,
Drones ARE equipped to be autonomous, yet can be manually controlled also.
Jesus, you're like the historian of our times! You're the homer of our struggle, the Shakespeare of the American war. Wait. No, you're not. You're someone that has access to Wikipedia! nooooooooooooooooo! Fucktard.
Illegal and impeachable, but with only Romney in the wings, we're royally screwed. Let it be known that Jews were the reason the Earth ended.
Excuse me Mr.Scientist, the earth is still here and we all agree you are still a moron
aaahhh the election season....or silly season...its funny to me that as a country we forget the last guy before obama and just how messup up the potus was....its nice to see stability at the top...someone that knows whats hes doin...bush tried 8yrs or should i say publicly claimed to try to get bin laden and this pres gets him before first term end...(emphasis on "first")..now weve averted a depression, we're still in a recession although economy will pick it up soon....and we're debating dem v repubs...the last repub pres was horrible (to put it mildly) so why should i vote for the same party that wants to tk up the issue of womans personal matters...c'mon were really debating the pill? condoms? for real? how bout lets stop this great country from hemorraging jobs....lets let the world tk up some slack financially...why are we the world police?? as taxpayers we help subsidize foreign nations who hate us....lets get back to being patriotic and not only when disaster strikes us....nah mean?
Yeah! The Jews! Wait... what are you, some kind of hidden Nazi? I hope you choke on your own dick the next time you're trying to blow yourself by leaning against a wall you fuckshit.
Clearly, CNN needs to moderate this blog a little bit closer than it is. People flaming others. Foul language. Who wants to read that?
Obviously people like you do!
In accordance with the law. Apart from when he uses them to assassinate US citizens or launch rockets into various countries we haven't declared war on.
Are you serious?? I dont care if he's a US citizen or a citizen of Sweden. If you murder and carry out terroism you should be executed.
So when the US attacked Iraq claiminig there were wMD, and then we found NONE, what do you call that? Many Muslims called it state sponsored terrorism .... from their perspective (looking up at cruise missles coming down, one could at least understand their raction). I wonder if that attack – based on bogus intelligence – leads to someone in the US being suject to international criminal action?
Brennan lies. You know he never lost a minute's sleep over this. Yes, we are at war. Yes, nuking the lot of them might be a good idea. But we've used targeted killings to kill little kids too. There's a difference between a nuke and a hellfire, who's surgical strike capability is often more like tossing a granade at ONE person in a crowd of hundreds. Respect national sovereignty? Well, again, no. If that were the case our drones would not be in Pakistan airspace. So Obama and Brennan just lie out one side of their mouth and keep babbling out the other. It's what they do.
Gitmo should be expanded. Didn't Obama promise to close it? Lol. El Presidente has little real control over his own government, reason enough to send his brack-ass fudge packing.
Your right, if a white person signs off on all those things then its okay!
Pffft....please; Obama just built those terrorists a new $800,000 soccer field at GITMO.
HAHAHAHA You're so fucking clever! Only, you're posting your fuck-shit from a public computer. I know, it's your mom or your fat GF's computer, but still.. it's enough for me to see that your POS bitch isn't in Cuba and neither are you! So please, tie your balls to a heavy object and toss it off a high bridge.
Israel needs to be the focus of US money.
We are in danger. Iran needs to be destroyed, and Gaza needs constant drone flights to keep Israel safe.
Only America can do this. If not done, Israel shall wreak havoc with their already weak economy.
Arabs are like dogs, and we shall take a letter from Hitler's book in the dealing with them.
Let me start off by saying Fuck You Essau. America for too long has been a slave to Israel. Americans are starting to wake up and realize that all of the problems in the Middle East are caused by Israel's persecution of Palestinians. If anyone needs to be incinerated it's the nation of Israel. Stop trying to get American soldiers killed for your cause.. besides Israel has over 300 nukes.. what do they need us to do their dirty work for?
-An Educated American
^*^
An Iran propaganda writer
Ah gee, somehow I gather that you have some odd dislike for President Obama. it is just an unfounded hunch, mind you, and I may be entirely mistaken, but from somewhere I get that faint impression. For my own part, I believe sending US troops into Pakistan– our supposed loyal ally– would lead to American deaths in attempts to "capture" mid- or low-level terrorist leaders. If we can bust them with drones instead, more power to us. After all, Pakistan hid bin Laden from us for years.
Let me start off with, "Jews are the only real problem facing humanity", disgusting greedy pigs.
Who let this douche bag in here??
all uh....uh....what are u doin?? hatred is so much wasted use of energy...now if u used that energy for positive results u would be in a much better place mentally...we're all the same all over just pigment seperates us....i bet if u took a knife and cut your pinky what color would come out??? name me one person on this planet (excluding romney who is part alien) that bleeds anything other than red?? 2 fingers
You my friend are a racist person!
Fake.
I have never understood why the US should stick its neck out for Israel -- it is not like they are a great military ally – I mean Israel did not join the coalition to liberate Kuwait. Israel did not assist us in the attack of Al Quaeda in Afghanistan after the US was attacked. Israel did not join us in Iraq. Israel did not assist us in Lybia. Personally, I could care less about the private matters of Israel -- just like I could care less about disputes that other countries might have with their neighbors - like Australia, England, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Iceland, Finland, Sweden –and about 100 other countries. I would much rather see the US cool its relations with Israel – not comment in their internal disputes with Palestine, Syria, or Iran and others in the region becasue we only inflame the situation - and treat Israek the same way we treat any other ally – hands off their internal matters. If we did this, we would not be so hated by Muslims workd wide, The US has no special mission to be the protectorate of Israel - and Israel never listens to us any way
Bravo!!!!! Pull the men out and use more drones.
All a matter of time before some of our drones or missiles that are launched by our Navy over Los Angeles to the target area in Nevada kill a few of our own. And in exchange for us using those drones against terrorists, non terrorsts et upset and take out their hostilities by decapitating American health care people, other American workers and tourists. Knowing they can't retaliate against the giant US Military for the loss of their loved ones, it is only natural they kill off a few of our innocent people too. This is not the way to do things, there are International Laws and our US Constitution explicitly states when force can be used against another nation. Good job Presidents Bush and Obama for making the US the most hated country in the world. Why even Iran and North Korea are all talk as the threres they five. But th US acts and wholesale slaughters. And if we miss a target and kill innocent or the innocent in the area of the target, how nice we tell them, "Sorry, but our agenda is more important than your children were. But here, take $100 and call this even." It definitly is going to bite us in the butt.
Depends on whether those "drones over the US" (Which I suspect are about as real as the "black helicopters" of yesteryear) are armed with Hellfire missiles or not. I suspect the only way someone would be "killed" by such theoretical drones would be if one crashed on his head.
As our civil liberties erode away.
The civil liberties aren't eroding away. They have been gone for a number of years. The erosion was before the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the collapse we had lost it all. The spies we used against the USSR turned their attentions toward our own people.
Ah waterboarding. Not torture for us to use, but we called it torture when the Germans and Japanese did it in WWII, and executed a number for that. With the US it is all a matter of who is doing it. After all God is on the side of the US and says it is okay. But if someone else is doing it they are godless heathen sub humans and it is torture. Really makes me proud seeing this happen. No one really speaks up tough. I am more than talk, I do what I can to take action. And it certainly isn't at the polls. It is hitting the US Government where it really hurts, financially. $15.7 Trillion Dollars debt and I think I am on a winning streak. Thomas Jefferson and others must be tossing in their graves seeing the Great Experiment in Government fail. After all Democracies never survive long, so they crested a Republic. Rome had a good thing going too until tyrants took it over and they spent themselves into oblivion with military spending and wars.
lol, at least , it was usefull.
cluing in
The NWO uses real planes. And flies them into buildings. Right Bushy?
name a wrestler who can fly.
Yes we know the usa uses drones but now the obama administration also uses them ? gee i should keep an eye out for red dots .
President Obama leads the country, you fuck-wit.
Some targets possessing information vital to national security, like ongoing attack plans, are worth more alive than dead if a country were able to extract that person's secrets. This administration has diminished the US ability to do so, and additionally has no long-term detention plan.
John Brennan is filled to his ears with crap as an administration apologist when he states drones are used when the option of capture is not feasible. When you won't use Guantanamo, capture is never feasible! That the administration has not figured out where to hold unlawful combatants ten years into the Al Qaeda campaign reflects very poorly upon them. Drones or doing nothing are our only options.
Remember last December when the US was pulling out of Iraq but we still held Ali Musa Daqduq, a Lebanese Hezbollah that had infiltrated into Iraq to kill at least five Americans? He was perfect for Guantanamo, but CinC didn't want the bad political optics of it, so what did he do? Five dead Americans, and what did their president do for them? Gave him to the Shiite government of Iraq which has no evidence, can't convict, and let him go.
Waterboarding is not torture, Guantanamo is a great facility, thank you Jose Rodriguez for your successful efforts that resulted in thousands of saved American lives.
You puss-fag, you aren't even in the military. How has the current president weakened anything? He hasn't. He's reinforced our SPECOPS and their ability to operate in foreign countries. You know jack fucking shit. State your facts or go fuck yourself.
And when did you serve?What was your m.o.s. ?what branch?Just interested since your such an expert........
Your only supposed to give your name, rank and serial number, Mr. Spy.
Don't post with your mouth (or A nus) full.
I agree with Chris 19D, a foul mouth moron like you Steve definitely never served in the military - and if you did, you likely spent your entire time fighting the grease on pots and pans as you did your KP duty in the mess.
And Chris 19D, My MOS was 96B2W40P - 1966-1969 and if you know what that stands for, do let me know, so I know you have some knowledge of these things...
Let me know Steve M how our situation was improved by removing Khadafi when we did, and letting the Muslim Brotherhood gain a foothold with their known links to Al Qaeda?
Steve M I don't know who hurt you, but I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive them. God Bless.
What is your factual basis for being a homophobic bully?
So, Steve M, you are in the military? I guess they let anything in these days. When I served it was with a group of real men, not illiterates like you. Why don't you try writing one post without any cursing in it. Try words like jerk, idiot, moron, etc. If you don't know any, look them up in the dictionary.
LOL you think waterboarding is not torture?
Come here and let me waterboard you and we'll see how tough you are. Waterboarding is the LEAST brutal torture but it IS torture and apparently you've never been waterboarded. It's VERY cold and your body's muscle contract and tighten up as you constantly shake.
If you get a drop of water that hits your forehead every 2 minutes, it's going to start feeling as if a bullet or something is hitting your head after a while. Stop talking like you know things when you don't know anything.
And Guantanamo Bay is good? I hope you're a troll or you're being sarcastic otherwise you must be one of the dumbest. Guantanamo Bay is a federal prison that makes our prisons look like jokes... but at the same time is still a paradise compared to other jails in foreign countries. The worst part about Guantanamo is that there are a lot of people who don't deserve to be in there but they are. Instead we let rapists and child molesters go to nice county jail but throw "suspects" of "The List" into Guantanamo without a trial on a US citizen.
If there should ever be a corrupt government in the US that locks up all those that speak against the government, Guantanamo is the place they will send you... and it seems they've already started doing this since 9/11 on random US citizens without a trial. I know of 2 people in Guantanamo who apparently were plotting to conspire against the US government but in reality they were just activists trying to protest a war or something along those lines. Without a trial, they were sent to Guantanamo because they were suspected terrorists.