Tag: drones
bastard.logic: Unpacking the Ramifications of Obama’s Targeted Killing Memo
Rosa Brooks unpacks the Obama JD’s targeted killing memo: “Like many legal documents, this one does fine on its own terms, but looks a lot less satisfying when taken out of its hermetically sealed legal universe.” Related: John Fugelsang talks with Harper’s Scott Horton and Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK about
Continue readingbastard.logic: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney On Targeted Killing: Lethal Strikes On U.S. Citizens ‘Legal,’ ‘Ethical,’ And ‘Wise’
Words fail (h/t): A friendly reminder from TAFKAdnA: The Obama administration claims that the secret judgment of a single ”well-informed high level administration official” meets the demands of due process and is sufficient justification to kill an American citizen suspected of working with terrorists. That procedure is entirely secret. Thus it’s impossible to know which rules the administration
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Cornel West Is Upset Obama Was Sworn In On Martin Luther King’s Bible
Dr. Cornel West, America’s most provocative public intellectual, progressive and champion for racial justice, explains why he’s upset that President Barack Obama was sworn in on Martin Luther King’s bible. He questions the first black president’s commitment to the values the slain anti-war civil rights leader stood for, including: peace, truth and
Continue readingLeDaro: Civilian Casualties in Pakistan From Obama’s Drone Attacks
Does this man deserve a Noble Peace Prize ?”I want to make sure that people understand actually drones have not caused a huge number of civilian casualties…. For the most part, they have been very precise, precision strikes against al Qaeda and their…
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: ‘Mass trauma’ in Pakistani tribal areas under threat of drone attack
An important new report – ‘Living Under Drones‘ – disputes the Obama administration’s claim that few civilians have died in drone strikes. The report details the mass trauma caused by the ever-present threat of drone attack… ‘men, women and children are subjected to almost constant trauma – including fear of
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: How U.S. Gov’t Talks About a Drone Program it Won’t Acknowledge Exists
by Cora Currier | ProPublica Drones have become the go-to weapon of the U.S.’s counter-terrorism strategy, with strikes in Yemen in particular increasing steadily. U.S. drones reportedly killed twenty-nine people in Yemen recently, including perhaps ten civilians. Administration officials regularly celebrate the drone war’s apparent successes— often avoiding details or staying anonymous, but claiming tacit credit for
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: US drone strikes: Imran Khan to lead protest in Waziristan
Imran Khan who heads up Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) will go ahead with a protest against American drone attacks in the region despite a reported Taliban threat. Khan plans to lead a demonstration in the town of Miranshah in North Waziristan accompanied by party members and activists. The area is a tribal
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Let’s Skip the 5th Generation F-35 and Put Our Money on the 6th Generation Option
The F-35 was a good idea that simply kept going downhill. Lockheed was going to build the F-22 stealth fighter and the F-35 stealth light attack bomber. But it was a sucker’s bet on the longevity of stealth technology. And we now know that Israeli and American defense planners have
Continue readingJimmy Carter, drone attacks and moral authority
Jimmy Carter was, in the opinion of this non-American, one of the better presidents the United States has had in recent history. Americans didn’t agree of course, and dumped him after one term, but his record speaks in his favour. And nowhere, does it speak more eloquently than on the
Continue readingeaves.ca: Here’s a prediction: A Canadian F-35 will be shot down by a drone in 2035
One of the problems with living in a country like Canada is that certain people become the default person on certain issues. It’s a small place and the opportunity for specialization (and brand building) is small, so you can expect people to go back to the same well a fair
Continue readingeaves.ca: Attack of the Drones – How Surveillance May Change our Culture
I’ve been following the rise of do it yourself (DIY) drones for a few years now, ever since Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired magazine, introduced me to the topic in a podcast. And yes, I’m talking about flying drones… Like those the US Air Force uses to monitor –
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Drones, Torture, Rendition: Democratic Values?
A Huffington Post column by Johann Hari summarizes certain revelations stemming from the leaked USG diplomatic cables by Wikileaks. The piece posits that Julian Assange’s efforts have made the world safer and are a boon to US National Security, that a better educated public with proof of government wrongdoings can
Continue reading