US Makes a Drone Attack a Day in Yemen (130 Killed in June)

Source: The National

SANA'A // The US has conducted more than 15 drone attacks in Yemen since the beginning of June, a Yemen defence ministry official said.

The increase of such attacks is part of a US strategy to employ more drones to curb what the US believes is a growing terror threat in Yemen, the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The US plans to begin supplementing US military drones with CIA drones because US officials say the political chaos in Yemen has compromised its efforts to contain terrorists in Yemen, the newspapers reported.

US officials said the CIA would operate in coordination with the US Joint Special Operations Command, which has been flying Predators and other remotely piloted planes over Yemen for much of the past year. The new approach is a significant escalation of the clandestine American war in Yemen and a substantial expansion of the CIA's drone war.

(snip)

Abdullah Luqman, the deputy governor of Abyan, said he is worried that the US is treating Abyan like a board game, where it continues playing, not worrying if the deaths are terrorists or civilians. "These are the lives of innocent people being killed. At least 130 people have been killed in the last two week by US drones." Mr Luqman said.

more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/us-makes-a-drone-attack-a-day-in-yemen

If the CIA engages in acts of war abroad, then that action is officially "covert" and can't therefore constitute a war crime, right? Anyone know?

(That's a question not a setup.)

by "terrorizing" innocent civilians, they themselves are more likely to resort to terror tactics. Terror plots are then generated and uncovered, and the Pentagon (and/or covert CIA operations) are less likely to have their funding cut in the War on Terror.

But I can't pay attention to that right now. Some congressman posted pictures of himself on the internets, and that's all we can manage to look at. Besides, it's not like anybody we know is getting blasted to Kingdom Come by our star-spangled faultless boyz in Foggy Bottom. And if any of the survivors decide to pay us back in our own coin, we'll just persuade the gullible American people that it's because they hate us for our freedom. Then we can all cheer and feel good as the military kills some more foreigners.

That is what scares me. Our government could use these horrible weapons against us if we become inconvenient.

I'm not justifying what the terrorists do. But I am asking, what does it take to be defined as a terrorist? How do we know that our government is only targeting terrorists? Are any records kept? Is their any accountability? Who decides who is targeted?

When the United States rains down death from the skies on persons without warning, it's freedom fighting. When someone else kills United States citizens, with or without warning, it's 100% terrorism. Unless the person doing the killing is white, in which case, he's probably a "super patriot" or something.

how are drone attacks supposed to assist yemeni youth in their struggle for democracy.

p.s. i am dumb.

right, DLC DUers?