Stop Obama’s Drone War in Pakistan

[Karmadillo]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/15-4

Published on Sunday, April 15, 2012 by The Progressive
Stop Obama’s Drone War in Pakistan
by Matthew Rothschild

The Pakistani government and its opposition parties have just come together in a rare show of unity to demand that the United States cease all drone attacks inside their country.

<edit>

This is against the U.N. charter, against international law, against the Constitution, and it’s doing us no favor in Pakistan, either, as it’s been enraging the entire country.

This is Obama’s war. He’s increased drone attacks by 600 percent from Bush’s pace. In Bush’s last three years in office, the U.S. launched 39 drone attacks in Pakistan. In Obama’s first three years, that number jumped to 241.

And don’t for a minute think that these attacks killed only Al Qaeda forces or the Taliban. Hundreds of civilians, hundreds of children, also have been slayed by these remote-control bombing raids.

more...

[KG]

1. just think if the US had a leader who was a 'peace prize' winner. oh, wait...

[bighart]

2. The very notion of "drone raids" is appalling.

[quaker bill]

15. Because death should be delivered more personally?

I have run into this sentiment over and over, and just can't wrap my head around it. How close and personal do the soldiers need to be to make it better? (I just oppose killing, it is easier)

[Dokkie]

3. Obama

is Toruk Mactor rider of the last shadow, death from the sky.

[xchrom]

4. Du rec. Nt

[Daniel537]

5. Civilian casualties are a big problem, but what exactly is the alternative to capturing

the terrorists themselves. Considering Pakistan's, at best mixed record, on dealing with these people, what do the critics of the drone strikes prefer as a method to capture/kill Al-Qaida members?

[bighart]

6. A legitimate question:

Is it even legal for the US to use these things inside the border of a sovereign nation with whom we have not declared war?

[G_j]

8. not really.... nt

[quaker bill]

16. I think if they allow it.

Since it is widely reported that the ISI assists with targeting, they would seem to be giving permission.

[G_j]

9. Do you really think all "critics of the drone strikes"

believe it is America's place to capture and kill people?

[cbrer]

7. The whole operation is illegal

From the invasion of Iraq, including Abu Ghraib, to the pissing on corpses and drone attacks of the current Nobel peace prize winner's war. He doesn't give a crap what you think.

[bighart]

10. I find it telling, and sad,

that this thread only has 223 views and 9 replies and one debating whether or not cheer leading is a sport has 1500 plus views and 100 plus replies. Kind of shows where priorities lie.

[gratuitous]

11. It's not just unconstitutional, it's a sin

And don't waste the bandwidth to tell us all how much worse a President McCain might be, or cite Gallup polls showing the administration has a 161% approval rating with liberal Democrats. Some things are wrong. Horribly, criminally wrong. As wrong as they can be. This is one of them, it could stop tomorrow, and the fact that it doesn't allows a very easy conclusion to be drawn.

[bighart]

12. I have concluded by the lack of response to this issue, on this and other threads,

that the vast majority of DUer's give at least tacit approval to the killing of civilians by remote control.

[quaker bill]

17. I don't approve of killing

by remote control or direct and manually. The choice to use a drone or a sidearm makes little difference.

[AtomicKitten]

13. I don't get it either what with Pakistan's help in finding bin Laden.

[Karmadillo]

14. I thought we were supposed to look forward, not backwards.