Drone Strikes

Does anyone have an issue with this " The paper said the United States could target a citizen if he was a senior operational leader of Al Qaeda involved in plots against the country and if his capture was not feasible. "
 
the FBI and homeland security deals with terroists on US soil NOT the military.

While they may have the lead, don't think for a sec that DOD doesn't also....
And the DHS bought a billion rounds of 5.56...what for?
 
Alright bring me up to speed guys. The CIA and our military, and NATO forces are using drones in what's being labeled as the drone wars. Are these attacks focused on terrorist ? My understanding is that for a two month period drone attacks stopped from one base in Pakistan and that now Pakistan runs that operation ? The issue seems to be that we were just using drones once in awhile and now we've pulled the troops and left the drones to kill terrorist. However now there's a question about whose being killed, and a question about can we target an American abroad.
 
So what is the process to target an American? is there a call a judge and have him ok it over the phone? Or just pull the trigger and let the missle fly whenever you feel you need to? I seem to recall Bush setting up special judges that were available all the time?
 
So what is the process to target an American? is there a call a judge and have him ok it over the phone? Or just pull the trigger and let the missle fly whenever you feel you need to? I seem to recall Bush setting up special judges that were available all the time?

Some kind of memo has or is being released that explains the process, maybe :laugh:

I haven't searched anything on Bush, well he hasn't been president in a long azz time :poke:
 
There are a lot of things we have done, and continue to do, in the war on terror overseas. Things that would not be legal here.

For example, there is a black box device used overseas that listens to ALL cell and broadcast transmissions in Afghanistan (there one mounted on almost every vehicle). The key is the algorithum that looks for specific words or phrases then looks for repetitive trends (numbers, locations, times, etc.).

That device is in the hands of our military (and NSA). That same device would be totally illegal here in the US. The question is, do you think they are using it or not (Patriot Act)? A lot of technology had civilian law enforcement and domestic terrorism value. Serveral Law Enforcement Departments in the US had requested permission to fly drones...The technology exists and it's cheap. The legalities, however, are evolving, and I expect to see continued.
 
I don't believe that american citizens or even terriorists are killed without significant investigation. They can always be wrong but i think when the missle flies it is aimed at someone that deserves to eat it 99 times out of a 100 shots. There is still the possibility of collateral damage but I think they try to control it more than any army ever has. I'm not saying we're perfect but I think the cries of missles hitting innocent people are often propaganda. I do think many terrorists hide with civilians. When a drone hits suddenly they are all "innocent".

Not quit 99 out of 100, no doubt these guys choose to hide / live among their families and friends and some of those are straight up terrorist or supporters of terrorism. I deplore their tactics, never cared for human shields. We have this huge outcry from the typical sources. Where are they when four thousand Americans are killed at work ?

Reports of the number of militants versus civilian casualties differ.[11] According to the Pakistani authorities, 60 cross-border predator strikes in the period from January 2006 to April 2009 killed 14 wanted al-Qaeda leaders and 687 Pakistani civilians.[12][13] In a 2009 opinion article, Daniel L. Byman of the Brookings Institution wrote that drone strikes may have killed "10 or so civilians" for every "mid- and high-ranking [al Qaeda and Taliban] leader."[14] In contrast, the New America Foundation has estimated that 80 percent of those killed in the attacks were militants.[15] The Pakistani military has stated that most of those killed were hardcore Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.[16] The CIA believes that the strikes conducted since May 2010 have killed over 600 militants and have not caused any civilian fatalities, a claim that some experts disputed.[11] The Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that between 391 – 780 civilians were killed out of a total of between 1,658 and 2,597 and that 160 children are reported among the deaths. The Bureau also revealed that since President Obama took office at least 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes when they had gone to help victims and more than 20 civilians have also been attacked in deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners, tactics that have been condemned by legal experts

^ a b c Shane, Scott (11 August 2011). "C.I.A. Is Disputed on Civilian Toll in Drone Strikes". New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ 60 drone hits kill 14 al-Qaeda men, 687 civilians
^ http://old.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=192181
^ a b Byman, Daniel (14 July 2009). "Do Targeted Killings Work?". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b c "Out of the blue". The Economist. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b Sherazi, Zahir Shah (9 March 2011). "Most of those killed in drone attacks were terrorists: military". Dawn. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b Woods, Chris; Lamb, Christina (4 February 2012). "Obama terror drones: CIA tactics in Pakistan include targeting rescuers and funerals". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
^ Woods, Chris (11 August 2011). "Over 160 children reported among drone deaths". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
^ a b Woods, Chris (10 August 2011). "Drone War Exposed – the complete picture of CIA strikes in Pakistan". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
 
Not quit 99 out of 100, no doubt these guys choose to hide / live among their families and friends and some of those are straight up terrorist or supporters of terrorism. I deplore their tactics, never cared for human shields. We have this huge outcry from the typical sources. Where are they when four thousand Americans are killed at work ?

Reports of the number of militants versus civilian casualties differ.[11] According to the Pakistani authorities, 60 cross-border predator strikes in the period from January 2006 to April 2009 killed 14 wanted al-Qaeda leaders and 687 Pakistani civilians.[12][13] In a 2009 opinion article, Daniel L. Byman of the Brookings Institution wrote that drone strikes may have killed "10 or so civilians" for every "mid- and high-ranking [al Qaeda and Taliban] leader."[14] In contrast, the New America Foundation has estimated that 80 percent of those killed in the attacks were militants.[15] The Pakistani military has stated that most of those killed were hardcore Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.[16] The CIA believes that the strikes conducted since May 2010 have killed over 600 militants and have not caused any civilian fatalities, a claim that some experts disputed.[11] The Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that between 391 – 780 civilians were killed out of a total of between 1,658 and 2,597 and that 160 children are reported among the deaths. The Bureau also revealed that since President Obama took office at least 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes when they had gone to help victims and more than 20 civilians have also been attacked in deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners, tactics that have been condemned by legal experts

^ a b c Shane, Scott (11 August 2011). "C.I.A. Is Disputed on Civilian Toll in Drone Strikes". New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ 60 drone hits kill 14 al-Qaeda men, 687 civilians
^ http://old.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=192181
^ a b Byman, Daniel (14 July 2009). "Do Targeted Killings Work?". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b c "Out of the blue". The Economist. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b Sherazi, Zahir Shah (9 March 2011). "Most of those killed in drone attacks were terrorists: military". Dawn. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
^ a b Woods, Chris; Lamb, Christina (4 February 2012). "Obama terror drones: CIA tactics in Pakistan include targeting rescuers and funerals". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
^ Woods, Chris (11 August 2011). "Over 160 children reported among drone deaths". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
^ a b Woods, Chris (10 August 2011). "Drone War Exposed – the complete picture of CIA strikes in Pakistan". Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 16 December 2011.

My Question would be, how are the defining "Militant"?
 
My Question would be, how are the defining "Militant"?
My understanding is all of this lies in the presidents hands at this time.

I'm looking for answers, but you guys just keep piling on the questions ......... I thought there would be more information in here, but apparently it's a huge secret and nobody knows a dang thing
 
Militant

1 : engaged in warfare or combat : fighting

2 : aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative <militant conservationists> <a militant attitude>
 
CBS showed off the newest drone tonight, no pilot, onboard OR remote. Flys by computer/program only. Seriously, what could go wrong??? I hope they double check the typing when they punch in the GPS coordinates and send it off with 4,000# of ordinance.
 
If I'm an American citizen, and go to Pakistan and have lunch with Mullah Omar, I'd consider that free game...

The problem is when the 'grey area' starts....it's the same thing that the Dems demonized GWB over....

I don't agree. To meet with ones enemy does not make you an enemy.
Nor should it automatically qualify one for a missile strike.


I don't believe that american citizens or even terriorists are killed without significant investigation. They can always be wrong but i think when the missle flies it is aimed at someone that deserves to eat it 99 times out of a 100 shots. There is still the possibility of collateral damage but I think they try to control it more than any army ever has. I'm not saying we're perfect but I think the cries of missles hitting innocent people are often propaganda. I do think many terrorists hide with civilians. When a drone hits suddenly they are all "innocent".

They watch these guys from above. They have no interaction with them or really know who they are.
They see a group of men with possible weapons and make a decision within a matter of moments. I believe that happens more than a full investigation and a 'yes he deserves it' happens.
 
Since we fly drones over foreign soil and take out our enemies how would you folks feel if our enemies had drones, flew them over our soil and took out some of our high up military figures?

Is it ok for us to use drone strikes over there simply because nobody else has drones and can do same here?

Then after decades of our drone strikes over there the first time somebody else attacks us on our soil with one everybody is gonna complain and cry foul.

The hypocrisy in our policies wreaks.
 
Since we fly drones over foreign soil and take out our enemies how would you folks feel if our enemies had drones, flew them over our soil and took out some of our high up military figures?

Is it ok for us to use drone strikes over there simply because nobody else has drones and can do same here?

Then after decades of our drone strikes over there the first time somebody else attacks us on our soil with one everybody is gonna complain and cry foul.

The hypocrisy in our policies wreaks.

Understand that I don't keep up with anything, but I think the difference is that these foreign lands we fly drones over are either at war with us or support our actions. ( In The War Against Terrorism )
 
I just think drones are the antidote to terrorism. I'm not saying it's right but typical military tactics don't work for this type of enemy, drones do. Very tough call.
 
I just think drones are the antidote to terrorism. I'm not saying it's right but typical military tactics don't work for this type of enemy, drones do. Very tough call.
Unfortunately, no matter what you come up with, the opposing team figures away around it.
 
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