Covert drone strikes in Pakistan: the fiction of zero civilian casualties
Covert drone strikes in Pakistan: the fiction of zero civilian casualties
Covert drone strikes in Pakistan: the fiction of zero civilian casualties
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<strong>Covert</strong> <strong>drone</strong> <strong>strikes</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>:<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>fiction</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>zero</strong> <strong>civilian</strong> <strong>casualties</strong><br />
www.<strong>the</strong>bureau<strong>in</strong>vestigates.com<br />
@chrisjwoods chriswoods@tbij.com
Confirmed and possible US<br />
covert <strong>drone</strong> <strong>strikes</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce 2002
Drone <strong>strikes</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>:<br />
preferred US counter-terrorism tool
The US self-image: claims <strong>of</strong><br />
overall <strong>civilian</strong> deaths <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong><br />
‘The Central Intelligence<br />
Agency tells US and<br />
<strong>Pakistan</strong>i <strong>of</strong>ficials that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re have been very<br />
few <strong>civilian</strong> deaths—<br />
only 60 over <strong>the</strong> years.<br />
But some senior<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>in</strong> both<br />
governments privately<br />
say <strong>the</strong>y are skeptical<br />
that <strong>civilian</strong> deaths have<br />
been that low.’<br />
Courtesy <strong>of</strong><br />
ProPublica<br />
Wall Street Journal<br />
November 4 2011
Public understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>civilian</strong> deaths<br />
<strong>Pakistan</strong> 2004 - 2012<br />
Total reported killed (all):<br />
2,513 – 3,226<br />
Total <strong>civilian</strong>s credibly<br />
reported killed:<br />
482 - 835<br />
Of which total children<br />
reported killed:<br />
175
A decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g proportion <strong>of</strong> <strong>civilian</strong> <strong>casualties</strong>
‘Zero non-combatant deaths between<br />
August 2010 and June 2011’ John Brennan
Redef<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> term ‘<strong>civilian</strong>’<br />
‘Mr. Obama embraced a<br />
disputed method for count<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>civilian</strong> <strong>casualties</strong> that did little<br />
to box him <strong>in</strong>. It <strong>in</strong> effect counts<br />
all military-age males <strong>in</strong> a strike<br />
zone as combatants, accord<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to several adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials, unless <strong>the</strong>re is explicit<br />
<strong>in</strong>telligence posthumously<br />
prov<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong>nocent.’<br />
New York Times, May 29 2012
Novel CIA tactics <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong>: deliberate<br />
target<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> rescuers, funeral-goers<br />
• 17 media reports <strong>of</strong> secondary attacks<br />
on rescuers between May 2009 and<br />
June 2011. TBIJ field study<br />
substantiates 11 <strong>in</strong>cidents<br />
• Civilians killed alongside Taliban <strong>in</strong><br />
almost all attacks<br />
• 4 recent claims <strong>of</strong> rescuer <strong>strikes</strong> when<br />
HVTs <strong>in</strong>volved. Investigations ongo<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
• Evidence <strong>of</strong> 2009 funeral deliberately<br />
targeted lead<strong>in</strong>g to multiple <strong>civilian</strong><br />
deaths<br />
‘Reference should be made to<br />
a study earlier this year by <strong>the</strong><br />
Bureau <strong>of</strong> Investigative<br />
Journalism… If <strong>civilian</strong><br />
‘rescuers’ are <strong>in</strong>deed be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>tentionally targeted, <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
no doubt about <strong>the</strong> law: those<br />
<strong>strikes</strong> are a war crime.’<br />
UN special rapporteur on<br />
extrajudicial kill<strong>in</strong>gs Christ<strong>of</strong> Heyns,<br />
to UNHRC June 2012
Nam<strong>in</strong>g The Dead<br />
Number <strong>of</strong> named militants killed: 173<br />
Number <strong>of</strong> named <strong>civilian</strong>s so far identified: 317
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