2 human rights groups question legality of U.S. drone strikes

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/10/22/206048/2-human-rights-groups-question.html



2 human rights groups question legality of U.S. drone strikes
By Jonathan S. Landay — McClatchy Washington Bureau
Published: October 22, 2013 Updated 4 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration violated international law with top-secret targeted-killing operations that claimed dozens of civilian lives in Yemen and Pakistan, according to reports that two international human rights organizations will release Tuesday.

The Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reports focus fresh attention on the most controversial facet of the U.S. campaign to cripple al Qaida and allied Islamic extremist groups, underscoring unresolved disputes over the legality of the targeted-killing program, the vast majority of which is carried out by missiles fired from unmanned drone aircraft.

Despite a vow by President Barack Obama to institute greater transparency, “the administration has yet to officially disclose any new information about drone policy, the legal framework or particular strikes,” Amnesty International said.

The reports follow the release last week of a United Nations study that questioned the legality of some U.S. drone strikes and said it had identified 33 incidents “that appear to have resulted in civilian casualties.”