U.S. Has Nothing to Say About 10-Year-Old Killed in Drone Strike

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/world/us-has-nothing-say-about-10-year-old-killed-drone-strike



On June 9, a U.S. drone fired on a vehicle in a remote province of Yemen and killed several militants, according to media reports.

It soon emerged that among those who died was a boy – 10-year-old Abdulaziz, whose elder brother, Saleh Hassan Huraydan, was believed to be the target of the strike. A McClatchy reporter recently confirmed the child’s death with locals. (Update: The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism today reported that there was "strong evidence" it was a U.S. drone strike, but it could not confirm the fact.)

It’s the first prominent allegation of a civilian death since President Obama pledged in a major speech in May “to facilitate transparency and debate” about the U.S. war on al Qaida-linked militants beyond Afghanistan. He also said “there must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured” in a strike.
So what does the administration have to say in response to evidence that a child was killed?

Nothing.

[think]

1. Christian's should be outraged but appear to give a rats ass

since it's over there.....

[Dreamer Tatum]

22. And if Christians said something, what would you say? Nt

[think]

23. It was a wrongful but intentional broadbrush meant to spark reaction

If the VOCAL Right Wing Christians in this nation can get on Fox News and decry a war on Christmas certainly they can decry the killing of innocent children with drones......

That was more to what I meant but at this point I'd be delighted to see the Rev Jesse Jackson or Pat Robertson or any leader of Christian faith say ENOUGH!

Sorry if I offended you personally. I believe in Christ, His words, and His deeds. I see none of that reflected in the drone policies while I hear right wing leaders scream about this being a Christian nation.

No right wingers you are all a nation of hypocrites who shame Jesus and mock His very words....

[The Straight Story]

2. Here is what the US will say:

We cannot show you evidence as to why we did this. Yes, a 10 yr old was killed - but we had our reasons. Trust us. You are more safe because of what we did.

Yeah. Let me try that as an excuse sometime. I would say that I hope someone would whistle blow and show us the data they use for these strikes...but then that person would end up in gitmo and the person reporting it shred.

We the people, who pay the salaries for the government, won't ever be given the reasons or proof. We are told to just trust.

All the while their trust for us is zero and they collate our data looking for terrorists.

Hell, my daughter is flying in two weeks to CA alone and I can't even go to the gate with her. I am trusted that little.

Fuck em.

[xchrom]

4. +1

[Katashi_itto]

3. Yes they do "It's Greenwald's fault" or maybe Snowdens, somebodies fault.

Just not ours.

[KansDem]

5. Cheney had an explanation for this kind of killing

"Collateral damage."

[idwiyo]

6. It his fault for being in the same car as known terrorists. He was not the target.

Remember that? I do.

[whatchamacallit]

7. That sentiment pops up often here

and it always astounds. What kind of liberal/parent/human-with-a-beating-heart says that?

[idwiyo]

8. One has to be the most despeacable scum to say that, IMNSHO. Unfortunately there are few of

those around.

[zeemike]

9. It is only a matter of time before they tell us...

"Nits make lice"

[newfie11]

10. Winning the hearts and minds of the enemy

Yeah right!

America is ensuring more will become terrorist and the war machine can continue.

What sociopathic leaders do we have running this?

I can only wonder if we the people have waited to long to protest.

The laws are being screws against us. We cannot even peaceably protest without being thrown in jail and/or pepper sprayed.

Oh yeah the Supreme Court just made it illegal to peaceably assemble/protest near them.

Can't have the riffraff around ya know!

[Arcanetrance]

12. I thought the same thing when I read the title

Another generation of terrorists who will hate America. These drone strikes are ridiculous they don't keep us safe the lower all of us as human beings.

[sabrina 1]

15. The Great War on Terror is extremely lucrative. Billions of dollars worth of funding goes to pay

Big Corporations to kill these people on our behalf.

Anyone who believes or ever did, that killing people is the way to make us safe, has some serious issues. Which, airc, Democrats were pretty united about not so long ago, when Bush was doing it.

I have read heart-breaking stories from the aftermath of some of these drone murders, mostly about the children. They have killed, as far was is known, over 160 children so far.

And to think that anyone with a human conscience could try, in any way, to excuse any of this, says something really horrific about this country.

RIP little boy, all we have the power to do is to say 'we are sorry'. We the people have failed but we did what we thought was going to end these crimes, and we were wrong.

[Arcanetrance]

17. What made me really sad was almost seconds after I finished my 10 year old nephew came over to talk

All I could think is what if someone were to unleash a drone and shot a missile and killed him

[sabrina 1]

19. You have a soul which enables you to empathize with other human beings. We apparently have

managed to elect soulless leaders who have zero empathy even for the most innocent. I have never heard one of our leaders offer any sympathy to the parents of the untold numbers of children whose deaths they are responsible for. I suppose you have to suppress all human feelings in order to be do what needs to be done if the money machine is to keep on working.

[Arcanetrance]

20. I guess I was slightly gullible cause when I voted in 08 and 12 I thought I was voting to end this

[marmar]

11. k/r

[GoneFishin]

13. Ever wonder if blow-back is a desired effect? It justifies the surveillance state.

They are pissing themselves to justify the NSA surveillance program. The 50 cases they cited have been substantially debunked as not having required spying on 300 million citizens' phone and internet habits.

Half a dozen or so FBI stings involved dangerous materials that were provided by the FBI themselves.

Maybe they don't care if these strikes provoke outrage. Maybe it is kind of fortuitous.

[sabrina 1]

16. Yes, a lot of people have considered that the real goal is to keep this phony WOT going.

And to sell the WMD for profit. Once the Soviet Union collapsed there was a void as far as a the MIC was concerned and the huge profits for those who deal in death and destruction. Now they have found an even better reason to get trillions of dollars in funding and all they have to do to 'get the people to go along' is to yell 'terror'.

[Catherina]

14. Of course not. The MIC is totally out of control now. n/t

[cali]

18. I'm going to say something terrible: I hope the drone operator is tormented by this

for the rest of his/her life.

[sabrina 1]

21. Apparently some of them are. According to one drone operator he is haunted by the children

he killed. I hope everyone who is a part of this, is haunted for the rest of their lives. But it is a useless hope. Anyone who can do this is not likely to have a conscience so the likelihood of them being stricken by a human emotion such as regret, empathy, sorrow, is probably not possible.