By Cliff Montgomery – Oct. 24th, 2013
Readers perhaps have heard of the joint news conference held on October 22nd, 2013 by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in which the two groups pointed out the possible criminality of U.S. overseas drone strikes. But The American Spark is providing something corporate media outlets often have not – a direct access to the evidence which each rights group has prepared on this matter.
Today, the Spark offers the complete report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Tomorrow, we will offer readers the study prepared by Amnesty International.
The HRW study, entitled ‘Between a Drone and Al-Qaeda’: The Civilian Cost of US Targeted Killings in Yemen, “examines six US targeted killings in Yemen, one from 2009 and the rest from 2012-2013,” stated a press release from the Watch.
“Two of the attacks killed civilians indiscriminately in clear violation of the laws of war,” continued the press release, while “the others may have targeted people who were not legitimate military objectives or caused disproportionate civilian deaths.”
These strikes, “often using armed drones, are creating a public backlash that undermines US efforts against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” stated the HRW release.
The U.S. government “says it is taking all possible precautions during targeted killings, but it has unlawfully killed civilians and struck questionable military targets in Yemen,” Letta Tayler, senior terrorism and counter- terrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, declared in the press release.
“Yemenis told us that these strikes make them fear the US as much as they fear Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” added Tayler, who also authored the HRW report.
Two telling examples given by the press release:
- “In December 2009, a US cruise missile strike on a Bedouin camp in the southern village of al-Majalah killed 14 alleged AQAP fighters and 41 civilians, two-thirds of them women and children,” pointed out the HRW release. “The attack involved cluster munitions – inherently indiscriminate weapons that pose unacceptable dangers to civilians,” the release added.
- “In August 2012, a US drone attack killed three alleged AQAP members but also a cleric who preached against AQAP, and his cousin, a police officer,” stated the press release. “Relatives said the three suspects had sought out the cleric for a meeting three days after he denounced AQAP’s violent tactics, and that the cousin had come along to provide the cleric security,” continued the release.
For such cases in which “the war model does not apply, the US should adopt a law-enforcement approach under international human rights law in addressing armed militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and AQAP,” declared the HRW press release.
“Human rights law only permits the use of lethal force when strictly and directly necessary to save human life,” added the release.
“Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are jointly calling on the US Congress to fully investigate… potentially unlawful strikes, and to disclose any evidence of human rights violations to the public,” declared the press release, which added that “those responsible for unlawful killings should be appropriately disciplined or prosecuted.”
“The US should investigate attacks that kill civilians and hold those responsible for violations to account,” stated Tayler.
“It’s long past time for the US to assess the legality of its targeted killings, as well as the broader impact of these strikes on civilians,” Tayler added.
