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KILLER DRONES MAY VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
AFP - US drone strikes against suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan could be breaking international laws against summary executions, the UN's top investigator of such crimes said.
"The problem with the United States is that it is making an increased use of drones/predators (which are) particularly prominently used now in relation to Pakistan and Afghanistan," UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston told a press conference.
"My concern is that drones/predators are being operated in a framework which may well violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law," he said. . .
"The onus is really on the United States government to reveal more about the ways in which it makes sure that arbitrary extrajudicial executions aren't in fact being carried out through the use of these weapons," he added.
Since August 2008, around 70 strikes by unmanned aircraft have killed close to 600 people in northwestern Pakistan.
"I would like to know the legal basis upon which the United States is operating, in other words. . . who is running the program, what accountability mechanisms are in place in relation to that," Alston said.
"Secondly, what precautions the United States is taking to ensure that these weapons are used strictly for purposes consistent with international humanitarian law.
"Third, what sort of review mechanism is there to evaluate when these weapons have been used? Those are the issues I'd like to see addressed," the UN official said.
"The problem with the United States is that it is making an increased use of drones/predators (which are) particularly prominently used now in relation to Pakistan and Afghanistan," UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston told a press conference.
"My concern is that drones/predators are being operated in a framework which may well violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law," he said. . .
"The onus is really on the United States government to reveal more about the ways in which it makes sure that arbitrary extrajudicial executions aren't in fact being carried out through the use of these weapons," he added.
Since August 2008, around 70 strikes by unmanned aircraft have killed close to 600 people in northwestern Pakistan.
"I would like to know the legal basis upon which the United States is operating, in other words. . . who is running the program, what accountability mechanisms are in place in relation to that," Alston said.
"Secondly, what precautions the United States is taking to ensure that these weapons are used strictly for purposes consistent with international humanitarian law.
"Third, what sort of review mechanism is there to evaluate when these weapons have been used? Those are the issues I'd like to see addressed," the UN official said.
2 Comments:
These guys seem a bit slow.
Any observer could have understood arbitrary extrajudicial executions have become policy, not just by drones.
Many years ago when I was growing up mercenary warriors (Blackwater/Xe) were bad, extrajudicial assassination was bad. Now they just fade into the background as ordinary.
In Gaza extrajudicial assassination is practically routine.
I think it should be a violation of international law to fly hijacked airplanes into buildings full of people.
I think it should be a violation of international law to explode bombs in crowded markets and other public places.
I think it should be a violation of international law for governments to kill large numbers of their own people.
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