[GPSCC-chat] Notes from Stanford Panel on Drones

[Brian Good]

http://www.digitaljournal.com/blog/19263





Panel
Discussion at Stanford 9 Nov. 2012




A recent
report from researchers at Stanford and NYU schools of law, "Living
Under Drones: Death, 
Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone
Practices in Pakistan", is based on interviews with 
victims and
witnesses of drone activity, Pakistani government officials, and many
others. 

http://livingunderdrones.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Stanford_NYU_LIVING_UNDER_DRONES.pdf






Omar
Shakir, one of the report's authors, says the report's count of
500-to-800 civilians killed is 
probably an underestimate. 





Effects on
those on the ground: 


1. medical
stress, lack of focus in daily life 


2. fear to
congregate, to attend funerals; "double-tap" strikes hit
rescue workers





Christof
Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur, says the drone strikes may be war
crimes 






Intel is
questionable. That 80% of prisoners at Guantánamo were released and
92% were never charged shows the poor quality of Intel. How much
better can the "kill list" Intel be? 






Studies show
that only 2% of the drone victims are high-level targets. 






74% of
Pakistanis consider the US an enemy. 






Deputy
National Security Advisor John Brennan claimed [in 2011] there had
been no civilian casualties.  Bob Woodward tells us Brennan knew on
day three [of Obama's term, in 2009] of civilian deaths. 






The perps call
civilian casualties "bug splat". 





Dr.
Shahzad Bashir 






At the time
the schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai's shooting by Taliban was in the
headlines, two 
American killings of Afghan children within two days
of that incident got little comment in 
the press. We know Malala
Yousafzai's name, but the names of the 16 civilians Sgt. Robert
Taylor shot we don't know. 






Disproportionality
is an issue, and drone pilots' insulation from danger, the doubts
about the 
Intel, abuses of the law. 





Medea
Benjamin 




Obama
said Afghanistan was a good war. Now the majority of Americans say
it's not worth fighting.  6
months ago 82% of Americans were in favor of drones. That's changing
rapidly. 




Attorney
General Eric Holder says there's no right to judicial process;
executive deliberation constitutes due process. No accountability, no
transparency. 





References
cited: 





Dr.
Bashir:
Tirman, The Deaths of Others ---6 to 7 million dead in conflicts from
Korea to 
Iraq. Americans are indifferent to civilian casualties. 
Joy
Gordon, Invisible War -- 1 million dead in Iraq. 



Omar
Shakir: 2010
"Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions, Philip Alston" 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world/03drones.htm


http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/14session/A.HRC.14.24.Add6.pdf
 		 	   		  
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