Over 700 Innocent Pak Civilians Killed in US Drone Strikes in 2009

[tekisui]

Source: Trak (India)

Peshawar, Jan 4 (ANI): Of the 44 predator strikes reportedly carried out by US drones in Pakistan’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan over the past 12 months, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five key Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of over 700 innocent civilians.

Most of the attacks were carried out on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly provided by the Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who are spying for the US-led allied forces in Afghanistan.

According to the statistics compiled by Pakistani authorities, the Afghanistan-based US drones killed 708 people in 44 predator attacks targeting the tribal areas between January 1 and December 31, 2009.

For each Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by US drones, 140 innocent Pakistanis also had to die.

Over 90 per cent of those killed in the deadly missile strikes were civilians, The Dawn quoted authorities, as saying.

The success percentage for the drone hits during 2009 was hardly 11 per cent.

On average, 58 civilians were killed in these attacks every month, 12 persons every week and almost two people every day.

more: http://trak.in/news/over-700-innocent-pak-civilians-killed-in-us-drone-strikes-in-2009/44225/

[malaise]

1. Tut Tut - you can't be brown and innocent

Gawd marked the evil ones with a color and even white Muslims are just evil collateral damage - get over yourself. :sarcasm:

[StarfarerBill]

2. "For each Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by US drones,

140 innocent Pakistanis also had to die."

Jesus. H. Effing. Christ. What an obscenity.

[JVS]

20. So we've killed 5 terrorists?

WTF!

[atreides1]

3. Who unrec's something like this

If you have solid evidence that this report is wrong, then present it.

Don't just unrec something and then go scurrying back into the dark like a roach does when you turn the lights on!!!

[Echo In Light]

6. There are authoritarian types who hate any "negative" data re machismo power figures

[Fumesucker]

4. Please, the accepted term is "collateral damage"..

And since these aren't Murkins it's not like they're real people anyway.

You need to stop posting objectively pro terrorist propaganda..

Yes, it's :sarcasm: for those who are wondering..

[rgbecker]

5. You know, you can't beat a body count to get a good grip on the situation.

Thanks for this report. Adds some real numbers to all the talk about the effectiveness of our nation's latest death machinery.
I hope the video operators at Langley are proud of their work for our freedom, and think about it every night.

[G_j]

7. Didn't I hear Obama talking about the "innocent civilians" that could have died

from the undie bomber?

Obviously, not all innocent civilians are equal.

[Romulox]

8. Their families will rest easier knowing it was President Obama, not President Bush, who ordered

these strikes!

[tekisui]

9. Obama surpassed bush on drone attacks and innocents killed in

Pakistan. A new generation of America-haters being produced.

[Kolesar]

10. It is because bush let Al Qaida move from Afghanistan into Pakistan

...primarily. This did not have to happen.

[tekisui]

11. No, it is because Obama ordered these attacks.

This did not have to happen.

[Kolesar]

12. Remember when candidate Kerry cited bush's failure at Tora Bora

It was during the debates in 2004. My eyes were getting heavy, but I remember it. bush could have nailed Osama and Al Qaida then and there, probably for good.

[tekisui]

14. I remember that clearly.

But, that is no excuse for killing innocent civilians.

[Kolesar]

18. Apparently, killer drone-missiles are the best strategy Obama's military commanders can come up with

The best I can say for *that* situation is that I trust that President Obama is not playing this war for domestic political points like his predecessor.

I have read articles that these killings are ultimately counterproductive. And I don't like Richard Holbrooke because he was prowar 2003 and glad to say it.

President Obama has a bad situation and no great options. We will see how tens of thousands of more soldiers in that theatre will change the war this year. Their warring may be done at a finer level and minimize gross civilian casualties.

[stray cat]

13. Terrorists are civilians as well as are their families

Like Vietnam its hard to always know who wants you dead and will gladly try to kill you

[Kolesar]

15. This is data from the Pakistan government, and they are playing both sides of the issue

The government *acts* like they object to this *loss* of soveriegnty, but they actually want the drone/missile attacks. Can anyone audit this data (700 civilians dead)?

[tekisui]

16. Dropping bombs on populations known to have innocent people

is not excusable.

[Kolesar]

25. Got kind of quiet on this thread

Didn't it?

[StarfarerBill]

17. If they're (Iraqi, Afghan, Pakistani, Yemeni, etc.) and running, they're terrorists;

is that the gist of this point?

[Kolesar]

19. ^unrecommended...eom

[Forkboy]

26. You're nothing if not predictable.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. We're killing them for their own good..donchya know. Just ask the CIA. K&R

[NNN0LHI]

22. I sure hope we weren't getting our intelligence for targeting info from that suicide bomber

Unfortunately I think we were.

Fuck a duck.

Don

[thereismore]

23. 44 strikes... that's one every 8.2 days. That's many more than I thought.

Looks like we are at war with Pakistan. Or somebody. And innocent people are dying. Could we just do something else?

[EFerrari]

24. .