Is this not terrorism?
I saw this link this morning and needed to write about it.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/asia/pakistan-drone-attack/index.html
We all know what terrorism is. We have heard the word being used for a good decade now and understand that it involves taking away a sense of safety that we all deserve. It is when we are filled with fear that we could be attacked next with an indiscriminate bullet or bomb. So with an understanding of this definition we need to ask the question why is it not considered terrorism when just one drone attack kills scores of civilians? We need to read between the lines of this news report and understand what happened here.
Events according to the news story:
1. The US government fires off 2 missiles at "suspected" militants.
2. Nine people are dead. We do not know if they are actual militants or women and children.
3. The neighbours from the community gather around to see what happened and see if there are any survivors.
4. Ten minutes later four missiles hit the same site.
5. The death toll goes above 20 individuals.
A specific concern about this incident: The drone controllers (typically based in the air force base in Nevada) can see clearly what is going on in the ground. They fired four missiles once a crowd of innocent observers had gathered around. What threat were these neighbours to US security? Were they considered guilty by association?
A general concern about drone attacks: Each of the 20 people killed in the drone attack did not receive a trial of any sort. Is it to strong to say they were assasinated or murdered? Whenever we weigh the decisions of a government to determine the morality of an action we need to ask: "What if this was done to us?" What if Pakistan had the capability to launch drone attacks on suspected militants in the US? What would the response of not only the US but the entire world be?
Who calls the shots? The President of the United States must sign off on each drone attack. He authorizes each use of force and truly the buck stops with Obama on this one.
One last issue: American citizens have been targeted and killed in US drone attacks. In September 2011 Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a drone attack. One month later his 16 year old son was killed while sitting in a restaurant (six others were also killed in this attack). The family is now suing the US government to demand evidence of their guilt.
These individuals may be guilty of crimes against the US (i.e. the bombing of USS Cole in the gulf of Yemen), yet we must ask the question: Should any American citizen be condemned to a targeted killing? Do American citizens, and of equal importance, citizens of any country, deserve a trial where evidence needs to be presented by both sides and judged fairly?
We must take the time to consider these issues.
Why is it not terrorism when people are judged guilty without any trial?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/asia/pakistan-drone-attack/index.html
We all know what terrorism is. We have heard the word being used for a good decade now and understand that it involves taking away a sense of safety that we all deserve. It is when we are filled with fear that we could be attacked next with an indiscriminate bullet or bomb. So with an understanding of this definition we need to ask the question why is it not considered terrorism when just one drone attack kills scores of civilians? We need to read between the lines of this news report and understand what happened here.
Events according to the news story:
1. The US government fires off 2 missiles at "suspected" militants.
2. Nine people are dead. We do not know if they are actual militants or women and children.
3. The neighbours from the community gather around to see what happened and see if there are any survivors.
4. Ten minutes later four missiles hit the same site.
5. The death toll goes above 20 individuals.
A specific concern about this incident: The drone controllers (typically based in the air force base in Nevada) can see clearly what is going on in the ground. They fired four missiles once a crowd of innocent observers had gathered around. What threat were these neighbours to US security? Were they considered guilty by association?
A general concern about drone attacks: Each of the 20 people killed in the drone attack did not receive a trial of any sort. Is it to strong to say they were assasinated or murdered? Whenever we weigh the decisions of a government to determine the morality of an action we need to ask: "What if this was done to us?" What if Pakistan had the capability to launch drone attacks on suspected militants in the US? What would the response of not only the US but the entire world be?
Who calls the shots? The President of the United States must sign off on each drone attack. He authorizes each use of force and truly the buck stops with Obama on this one.
One last issue: American citizens have been targeted and killed in US drone attacks. In September 2011 Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a drone attack. One month later his 16 year old son was killed while sitting in a restaurant (six others were also killed in this attack). The family is now suing the US government to demand evidence of their guilt.
"There is something terribly wrong when a 16-year-old American boy can be killed by his own government without any accountability or explanation," said Pardiss Kebriaei, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, in a conference call with reporters. Her group is representing the relatives, with the American Civil Liberties Union.http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/us-usa-yemen-lawsuit-idUSBRE86H1BT20120718
These individuals may be guilty of crimes against the US (i.e. the bombing of USS Cole in the gulf of Yemen), yet we must ask the question: Should any American citizen be condemned to a targeted killing? Do American citizens, and of equal importance, citizens of any country, deserve a trial where evidence needs to be presented by both sides and judged fairly?
We must take the time to consider these issues.
Why is it not terrorism when people are judged guilty without any trial?
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