Obama launched more drone attacks than Bush?

[cowcommander]

Overheard it today, that Obama's been using drones more in the past 11 months than Bush did in the past 8 years. Is there any truth to this?

[Dennis Donovan]

1. Links, or...

You're full of shit...:thumbsdown:

[cowcommander]

2. I don't know if it's real or not, which is why I'm asking here

Can't seem to find anything online either giving concrete info on the number of drone attacks.

[HipChick]

3. Well..Duh..

[Electric Monk]

4. Tried google? This seems like casting asparagus(sic)

[Dennis Donovan]

5. Google is your ffriend...

...or you're a rumor-monger.

Seriously, you DO know about Google, don't you?:eyes:

[HipChick]

6. Alex..I'll take rumor-monger or shit-stirrer for $500 please!

[Dennis Donovan]

7. Ding!

;)

[EFerrari]

15. It's true. I'll take "never read the paper for $20".

Drone aircraft in a stepped-up war in Afghanistan and Pakistan

It will be months before the 30,000 new troops will have gone to war in Afghanistan. But President Obama already has increased attacks by pilotless Predator drone aircraft against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal areas.

ttp://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2009/1211/Drone-aircraft-in-a-stepped-up-war-in-Afghanistan-and-Pakistan

[Bluebear]

17. Or in that case, "Sockpuppets for $800!"

LOL.

Merry Christmas to you! XO

[EFerrari]

21. LOL! I miss everything.

Merry Christmas, Bluebear! :hi:

[cowcommander]

8. Yes

All I'm finding are the usual outrage articles about Obama using more drones, but nothing concrete as far as numbers go.

[Hissyspit]

9. Jane Mayer:

http://www.alternet.org/world/144449/obama_far_outdoes_bush_in_escalating_war_--_the_numbers_will_surprise_you

http://cryptome.org/0001/predator-war.htm

Drone Deployments

Speaking of fueling hatred toward the US, other than a huge troop increase, there has also been a sharp increase in the use of unmanned drones. The New Yorker reports: “According to a just completed study by the New America Foundation, the number of drone strikes has risen dramatically since Obama became President. During his first nine and a half months in office, he has authorized as many C.I.A. aerial attacks in Pakistan as George W. Bush did in his final three years in office."

The unmanned drones have caused major controversy due to the high number of civilian causalities they cause. However, as the study stated, the Obama Administration continues to increasingly rely upon them.

[jonnyblitz]

10. google any variation of "torture continues under Obama" and

see what comes up for that as well.

[cowcommander]

11. Thanks for the links, but...

Are these sites legitimate though? These aren't mainstream news sites at all.

[Hissyspit]

13. The New Yorker? Jane Mayer?

New America Foundation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_America_Foundation

All "legitimate," depending on your definition, I guess.

NAF Article: http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/blogposts/2009/pakistan_drone_war_takes_a_toll_on_militants_and_civilians-13750

[winyanstaz]

30. Are you trying to claim "mainstream news sites" tell you the truth now?

bwhahahahaaaaa

[Pirate Smile]

12. I believe it is true. Obama said he was going to go after Al Quaeda in Pakistan and he has.

The NYT reporter who was held by AQ in Pakistan said that the number of drone attacks did increase after Obama took over.

Bush didn't seem to want to really find Bin Ladin. Obama does.

[StarfarerBill]

14. Drones and cruise missiles: murder with clean hands.

[timeforpeace]

16. Could be. And if you think this group cares, you're wrong. War is in again.

[Vickers]

18. HE KILLS BABIES!!!!!1!1!!!!!!1!1!!

:scared::scared::scared::scared::scared::scared::scared::scared::scared::scared:

[rug]

19. Don't know about babies but 28 children were killed last week in Yemen.

[Vickers]

22. Obama strangled them one by one.

:eyes:

[rug]

24. No, he just ordered the attack. More efficient.

[Vickers]

26. And then he fucking strangled them ONE BY ONE.

That goddamed motherfucker.

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

[rug]

31. Looks like he missed one. PM me your coordinates.

[EFerrari]

33. LOL

:rofl:

[Hissyspit]

20. "Pakistan Drone War Takes A Tool On Militants - And Civilians"

http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/blogposts/2009/pakistan_drone_war_takes_a_toll_on_militants_and_civilians-13750

"Under President Obama, the strikes have taken out at most half a dozen
militant leaders while killing approximately 450 other people. Of
those, about 75 percent are reported to have been lower-level
militants, and about a quarter appear to have been civilians.

The strikes appear to have killed a slightly lower percentage of civilians
in the past nine months than during the earlier years of the American
drone campaign in Pakistan.

Obama, far from curtailing the
drone program he inherited from President George W. Bush, has
dramatically increased the number of U.S. Predator and Reaper drone
strikes.

There have been 44 strikes in Pakistan this year (two while
Bush was still in office), compared with 34 in all of 2008. None of the
strikes under either Bush or Obama has targeted Osama bin Laden, who seems to have vanished like a wraith."

[Vickers]

23. Obama was guiding the drones in himself.

:eyes:

[Hissyspit]

25. Last time I checked he was Commander-In-Chief.

[Vickers]

27. And then he fucking strangled them ONE BY ONE.

That goddam son of a bitch.

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

[Hissyspit]

29. Last I heard he was Commander-In-Chief.

[Vickers]

32. And then he fucking strangled them ONE BY ONE. Then he peed on them.

That fucking cocksucker.

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

[EFerrari]

34. Okay, that's IT, Vickers. Give me your keys.

[Vickers]

36. lol

*throws keys to EF*

[EFerrari]

37. Merry Christmas.

:)

[Vickers]

38. Thanks, mate.

:thumbsup:

Sorry for showing my ass.

[EFerrari]

43. That's what friends do. Here's to another five for both of us at DU.

:toast:

[PufPuf23]

40. Merry Christmas EF

More drones and more military in Africa and Latin America.

Sadly, Obama has gotten more on focus with the 2000 PNAC agenda; the focus GWB lost.

You are a great heart at DU!

[EFerrari]

42. Merry Christmas, PufPuf23.

Maybe this will be a better year. :grouphug:

/ack, someone take my keys. lol

[Mimosa]

28. Why cant we leave the Middle east ALONE?

Why the hell can't we leave the middle east alone? let them fight among themselves. Reading Sherlock Holmes novellas as a kid, i noticed that Dr. watson had suffered war wounds from a british war in Afghanistan.

WHY DON'T WE LEAVE THEM THE F ALONE?

[tabasco]

35. Good! Excellent weapons system and we're going after the real enemy.

Bush invaded Iraq, that was not a threat, and killed hundreds of thousands, needlessly.

Now, Obama has to finish the war against al-qaeda, the people who attacked us.

[ipaint]

39. Isn't that what Nobel Peace Prize winners do.

International Law: The First Casualty of the Drone War
A comprehensive legal analysis of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan

Drones: Ten Civilians killed for every militant.

Casualty Reports and Assessments

The most cited and controversial report to date on the casualty results of U.S. drone strikes is the April 2009 report published by Pakistan's leading English daily, The News.<2> The report was authored by Amir Mir who is known by leading American strategic analysts as "a well-regarded Pakistani terrorism expert."<3>

The report, relying on internal Pakistani government sources, alleges that from January 14, 2006 to April 8, 2009, U.S. drone bombings killed 687 civilians and 14 al-Qaeda operatives, amounting to a ratio of nearly 50 civilians killed for every al-Qaeda operative killed, or a 94% civilian death rate.

Out of 60 total strikes, only 10 hit any al-Qaeda targets. The sources attributed the failed drone attacks to "faulty intelligence information" which resulted in the "killing hundreds of innocent civilians, including women and children." It goes on to detail the numbers of deaths, the statuses of the victims, and the dates of specific attacks, all within annual and monthly time frames.

...On Tuesday, May 19, 2009 three travelers passed through the village of Khaisor in North Waziristan. In keeping with traditional tribal area hospitality, local villagers served them a meal. Upon finishing their food, the travelers promptly moved on and left the village. These travelers happened to be members of the Taliban. U.S. drones, which routinely conduct surveillance flights of the area, apparently made note of the presence of the three Taliban men. At 4:30 a.m. the following morning (May 20th) a drone bombed the homes of the villagers who fed the men, ultimately "killing 14 women and children and two elders, wounding 11."<53>

http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4800148/aHR0cDovL3d3dy56bWFnLm9yZy96bmV0L3ZpZXdBcnRpY2xlLzIzMzQ2

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4800148-drones-ten-civilians-killed-for-every-militant

sources at top link.

[pinniped]

41. If he didn't yet, there's still 3 more years to surpass B*sh.

.