SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Drone strikes have been a controversial issue that has faced severe criticism from human rights organizations and even US government faced international pressure regarding massive collateral damage due to drone strikes. It has been more than two years since US President Barack Obama promised new transparency and accountability rules when it comes to drone strikes. Yet, it has become increasingly clear that virtually no progress has been made. The criteria for who gets added to the unaccountable ‘kill list’ is still shrouded in secrecy even when the US government is targeting its own citizens. What is also disturbing is that the Obama administration continues to launder the details of its drone policy and programmes through the media to avoid accountability.
Last year, in a speech at the National Defense University, President Obama acknowledged that American drones had killed civilians. He called these incidents “heartbreaking tragedies,” which would haunt him and those in his chain of command for “as long as we live.” But he went on to defend drones as the most discriminating aerial bombers available in modern warfare—preferable to piloted aircraft or cruise missiles. Jets and missiles cannot linger to identify and avoid noncombatants before striking, and, the President said, they are likely to cause “more civilian casualties and more local outrage.” However the policy of killing terrorists using unmanned drone strikes can be counter-productive and increase support for insurgent groups, the CIA acknowledged in a secret report. A CIA document reviewing attacks carried out by countries involved in counter-insurgency operations has revealed the agency is aware of the drawbacks when using the controversial tactic.
Drone warfare became increasingly important to the U.S. military towards the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a way to collect intelligence and conduct airstrikes without risking American lives. Though drone strikes helped much to target hardcore terrorists specially in Tribal areas of Pakistan but at the same time drone attacks have given an advantage to terrorist which comes in the form of local support by the grieved families of innocent victims of drone strikes. If US has to continue this campaign it would have to reduce the collateral damage in this case.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
