“I am a spy and I took part in four attacks,” said Sidinkay, a young tribesman who said he was paid $350 to help direct C.I.A. drones to their targets in Pakistan’s tribal belt.
[…]
For several years now, militant enforcers have scoured the tribal belt in search of informers who help the C.I.A. find and kill the spy agency’s jihadist quarry. The militants’ technique — often more witch hunt than investigation — follows a well-established pattern. Accused tribesmen are abducted from homes and workplaces at gunpoint and tortured. A sham religious court hears their case, usually declaring them guilty. Then they are forced to speak into a video camera.The taped confessions, which are later distributed on CD, vary in style and content. But their endings are the same: execution by hanging, beheading or firing squad.
Despite the CIA — as seems to happen so often in recent years — not protecting their spies and sources, here’s a comforting statistic:
Strike accuracy seems to be improving: just seven civilian deaths have been confirmed in 2012, down from 68 the previous year.
On the lighter side of drones, we have this to look forward to: Tacocopter.
Note to self: Shoot Tacocopter down before it delivers it’s deadly payload.
Wow! Anyone having a problem with “unmanned delivery agents are fast and work tirelessly.”??
Today tacos, tomorrow – ??
(Although a Carnita Copter would be ok, I can be bought with a Carnita.)
“…just seven civilian deaths have been confirmed in 2012, down from 68 the previous year.”
But they also have claimed that anyone with a terrorist must be an enemy combatant. So that stat may be distorted.
Yes, 7 is a bit high given their manual.
As far as less fatalities, that first generation of Call of Duty drone pilots is now old enough to get in the mix. Kids are outstanding at robotic war fighting and more importantly real time decision making.
The military gets the parents to pay for the training hardware and software. Sit and watch a tween-teen play COD for an hour. The multi-tasking and situational awareness is extremely dynamic.
Mix in others and some real teamwork and these kids are stone cold assassins. I can only imagine how good they are with paychecks, and real-intelligence support in the combat zones.
As far as snitches getting killed:
I would guess $350 suddenly appearing in your family would raise some big questions in Af/Pak.
The one hope is that it shows not everyone in Af/Pak supports the Jihad-dist agenda.
Why do we care so much? These poor people are getting our hard earned money or more likely $350 added to the national debt. Stupid.
Its WAR. What is it good for?…..Absolutely Nothing. etc.
Imagine being surrounded by a bunch of right wing religious nut cases who are ruining your country…….. HEY!!!!!
Hmm, I don’t remember Congress approving a Declaration of WAR! Can you give me an exact date on that?
Gee Bob—-Avoid reality like a family member trying to collect on a debt?
There are “obviously” declared and undeclared wars.
Pity you can’t even deal with the obvious.
Silly Hoomans.
And what about this, Two THOUSAND Civilians killed in 450 drone strikes in Afghanistan??
I know this is Afghanistan and not Pakistan, but our government’s numbers just don’t add up.
“2012 was the year of drone assassination operations in Afghanistan. The report by U.S Air Force shows that Washington has launched about 450 unmanned drone strikes over the past 12 months.
Since January this year, two thousand civilians are said to have been killed here in Afghanistan-most of them were children and women. Now the US military says they will launch more and more drone operations. Therefore many here do not predict a decrease in civilian deaths. ”
http://presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/10/277335/us-drones-killing-civilians-in-afghanistan/
Shhh! Please don’t talk about that, it makes the Libs all squirmy.
Conservatives will never can satisfy their blood lust.
If it’s all good, whether it’s bogus wars, drones or a Bushmaster AR 15 killing innocents; you might be a Conservative!
Might I also add:
If a maniacal need to win and trumpet false convictions is all good; you might be a conservative!
If crushing the American dream because you already realized yours, is a good thing; you might be a conservative!
If an uppity Black being a national leader makes you mad; you might be a conservative!
McCullough,
What scares me more is it apparently DOESN’T make the Libs all squirmy. (See noname)
It’s nice to be scary and not squirmy!
RESPECT THE POWER 🙂
Lib here.
I’m in favor of methods to reduce civilian deaths and do recognize war is dirty, imprecise and very expensive- which is why we should avoid it.
“Strike accuracy seems to be improving: just seven civilian deaths have been confirmed in 2012, down from 68 the previous year.”
“confirmed” by who?
bogus numbers, at best.
“Anatomy of an Air Attack Gone Wrong – In rural Yemen, a botched attack on a terror suspect kills 12 civilians and destroys a community.”
Bogus numbers indeed. This drone strike killed a family of 12 civilians in Yeman on Sept 6th.
Source: http://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/12/26/yemen_air_attack_civilians_dead?page=0,0
There’s no such place called Yeman so you’re not telling the truth
Sorry for my mispelling, Mr. Spelling Nazi. Can you please explain why mistaking an “e” for an “a” is grounds for calling me a liar?
The Republic of Yemen, commonly known as Yemen, is a country located in Western Asia, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. —Wikipedia
Seems to me I recall that in Iraq for quite some time more US Troops were killed by Friendly Fire than by the enemy? Add in the number of suicides and that is probably true for all combat from after the Vietnam War?
Have I ever posted here that WAR is HELL? When innocent people are getting killed and no one cares, looks the other way, or hands out medals—thats war. You know: declared or otherwise.
Usually, its all about old men making money and sending young men into war to make more. Right and Wrong have nothing to do with it.
USA Civil War still the best example. Imagine poor white Southern Trash fighting for Northern and European Rich White Men to keep Black People in Bondage? Its as BLATANT a walking/marching STUPIDITY as one can imagine==and yet secession petitions are still being filed for that very same purpose… well, black and white have become equal so now its just RICH OLD WHITE CRACKERS taking advantage of ignorant poor dumbsh*ts.
War is like that.
Stoopid Hoomans.
So what is the ultimate goal here. Is it the War on TERROR…or bringing democracy to crazy fundies nations. Just what is the goal here? Forcing Muslim countries to accept a western FREEDOM is not going to work, its a joke.
I think its the theft of resources, and you just support old rich men who want those resources.
You’re asking why we invaded Iraq when it was totally under our thumb with UN Air Coverage and World Support?
Many do say it was to secure their oil…. but we haven’t done that.
It wasn’t to secure weapons of mass Distraction==that was an obvious lie right from the start.
Could it be just to have a hot war going to slip money to BlackWater and the Mil/Ind complex? THats the only explanation that fits all the facts… other than emotions.
bushtheretard in some kind of Coke fueled lsd flashback? But he’s born again which is all about salvation thru getting as much money as you can. That brings us back to always having a war going on somewhere in order to funnel cash and power to those who want that sort of thing.
War is good for a few and attractive for most until they actually engage in it and find out REALITY is a bitch. Not a Hollywood movie at all.
Imagine that?
The repukes seem upset that drone attacks cause so little collateral damage. I guess they prefer carpet bombing, so long as their kids aren’t actually doing the bombing themselves. Repukes love to play war, but only with other people’s kids.
I tried a carpet bombing run in my living room. There I was talking with the Flight Tower Supervisor, listen carefully I said! Any approach is no damn good if I bomb Rug Runners 2-2. We need 2-niner.
We’ve got an unserviceable stabilizer trim. Doubtful rudder control and structural damage. If we’re brought in on 2-2 they’ll be a broken airplane and a lot of dead bugs.
So you call Lincoln, mister, and turn the screws and tell that Lincoln airport manager to get off his penguin butt and clear that Rug Runners!
I don’t like these drone attacks.
But they are ONE MILLION PERCENT BETTER than a full Bush-style invasion and occupation.