UN investigator warns US on use of drones (targeted executions may violate international law)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/27/09 | Edith M. Lederer - ap

[NormsRevenge]

UNITED NATIONS – A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States Tuesday that its use of unmanned warplanes to carry out targeted executions may violate international law.

Philip Alston said that unless the Obama administration explains the legal basis for targeting particular individuals and the measures it is taking to comply with international humanitarian law which prohibits arbitrary executions, "it will increasingly be perceived as carrying out indiscriminate killings in violation of international law."

Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigator on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, raised the issue of U.S. Predator drones in a report to the General Assembly's human rights committee and at a news conference afterwards, saying he has become increasingly concerned at the dramatic increase in their use, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, since June.

He said the U.S. response — that the Geneva-based council and the General Assembly have no role in relation to killings during an armed conflict — "is simply untenable."

[NormsRevenge]

the U.S. response — that the Geneva-based council and the General Assembly have no role in relation to killings during an armed conflict — “is simply untenable.”

—

Hey, UN Human Rights Guy.. Shove it!

[gaijin]

Recommended: bold-facing, all caps, sternly-worded letters....

OTHER METHODS OF UN RETALIATION, ANYONE?

[Tzimisce]

Those who fight wars with slavish devotion to the rules are bound to fail.

-US Grant

[rsobin]

What’s that guys coordinates?

[NormsRevenge]

Predator UAV carrying an Hellfire-C laser-guided missile.

[elpinta]

Got it: manned aircraft used to mass-murder non-combatants is OK.

[NormsRevenge]

Alston is a Professor of law at NYU or was.

[Eagles6]

I don't know where to begin...

At least GW would have said "Phillip who? Tell him to go pound sand">

"commander zero" may well take this very "seriesly".

[Wisconsinlady]

Oh, yes, please. Let’s continue to send in our brightest young men on parole to get shot at like sitting ducks rather than a drone that might kill a Taliban.

[tet68]

What hogwash, they are not unmanned they are remotely
piloted, no different from any other weapons platform.

[Exton1]

Hey UN, who’s gonna stop us?

[NurdlyPeon]

U.N. tries to undermine U.S. war effort. And this is something new?

[pgyanke]

Did he happen to mention anything about randomly targeting civilians and suicide bombings? No? Hmmm... strange...

[shibumi]

" A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States Tuesday that its use of unmanned warplanes to carry out targeted executions may violate international law."

Gee, sounds like it's time to use the old saw:

"KILL 'EM ALL - LET GOD SORT 'EM OUT."

[NonValueAdded]

Fly one by his window every once in a while and really mess with his mind. Do we have one that hovers?

[SumProVita]

“What’s that guys coordinates?”

Lol... I was thinking along the same lines.

[Vendome]

Obama: “Oh! Okay”.

[InterceptPoint]

A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States Tuesday that its use of unmanned warplanes to carry out targeted executions may violate international law.

This is simply laughable. We are fighting a war with people who strap bombs to their body and blow up children. And the UN wants to lecture us about "international la". Give me a break.

[elpinta]

“Hey UN, who’s gonna stop us?”

Zero?

[stuartcr]

Isn’t this essentially what snipers do?

[Waryone]

However, beheadings and bombs strapped to children are quite alright.

[digger48]

Obama will use this as justification for just grabbing our toys, leaving, and blaming it all on Bush.

This announcement was probably done in coordination with the White House

[ModelBreaker]

Does this mean it is illegal for US Soldiers to aim their guns before they fire?

[OldDeckHand]

"Do we have one that hovers?"

Oh, yeah. The MQ-8 Fire Scout

[Crim]

BINGO...we have a winner!

[Pontiac]

Alston's warning comes as President Barack Obama is weighing how to overhaul the U.S. approach to the Afghan conflict.

These representatives of Depotic Regimes have judged Obama to be a weak leader.

They are testing him. They are guessing that by merely suggesting that our methods are illegal that Obama will forbid their use.

I am guessing that they are correct.

[paul51]

Oh no! Hope they don’t bring sanctions against us.

[Vendome]

Nobel Peace Laureate.

Congratulations Mr. Obama.

[Markos33]

A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States... HA!

I think it's time that we had hay in this barn...

[Godwin1]

What the UN is ignoring—and what Obama also often ignores—is that we are at war with Islamic terrorists. War is imposing your will on the enemy by force, not about taking him to court. The paradigm is all wrong.

[G Larry]

How many “U.N. & Drone” punchlines can YOU think of?

[ntmxx]

Good point, how about we just start calling them exactly what they are, “Foreign Nations Association,” for they sure are not united, and for the longest time have violated their own charter, rules and policies, and have done everything possible to foment killing around the world for their own benefit. The usefulness, if there was ever any, has long passed. No American should have their labor or taxes be part of or sponsor to a group that has one thing in common, which is to stand idly by paying lip service to the concepts of life, inalienable rights and freedom…if this group is so wonderful, have them go outside the U.S. and do something to prove themselves; then get back to us with the results in 10 to 15 years.

[Chode]

if the planes that hit NY hit the UN not the towers, prolly nobody would of said a thing

[Merlinator]

The U.N. can go to hell.

[reagan_fanatic]

Hey Phillip...

[blam]

Suicide bombings and slaughter of civilians are okay I suppose?

[doug from upland]

He is the one wearing yellow.

[tet68]

I want a photo shop of a jet liner crashing into the UN.
Maybe THAT would get their attention.

[Don Corleone]

Don Corleone to U.N. F. Off!

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Targeted eh?

Fine. We'll deliberately aim wide of the target by a few feet. It's not our fault if the muzzie runs inside the warheads splash radius...

Frigging morons at the UN need to be on the receiving end of a few hellfire missiles... after a MOAB or twenty is dropped on that hive of scum and villainy.

I'd dearly love to see that whole place turned into a smoking hole in the ground with it entire load of filth inside at the time.

[VeniVidiVici]

Professor Philip Alston

[bergmeid]

My, my, we’re being told all kinds of things by the UN, aren’t we.

[HardStarboard]

Predators over the UN Building is a fine alternate use.

[An Old Man]

"What hogwash, they are not unmanned they are remotely piloted, no different from any other weapons platform."

This conjures up the image of a 17 year old kid complete with lollipop hanging out the side of his mouth being summoned to appear before a UN High crimes tribunal.

Bad Dream! Say it isn't so.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

U.N. tries to undermine U.S. war effort.

As if Obama needed their help. Amateurs.

[444Flyer]

9/10/09

“U.N. LAWYERS TARGET U.S. TROOPS”

“Justice: As if fighting a war in Afghanistan isn’t hard enough, ambitious global prosecutors have rolled into Kabul looking to charge U.S. troops. Intentional or not, such legalism will sap U.S. morale as it did in Vietnam.

At about the time NATO’s new secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, warned NATO’s European members against an early pullout, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, whose body is charged with looking for international war criminals, announced he was looking for new “clients” from anyone with a grievance in Afghanistan.

At a briefing Wednesday in The Hague, Moreno-Ocampo said he had launched a new war crimes inquiry..,

Oh, he’d been evenhanded in his Monday-morning battlefield quarterbacking of course, promising he’d prosecute both Taliban and NATO troops as moral equals...”

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=505775

9/08/09

“Obama to seal US-UN relationship”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334897/posts

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

[Soul Citizen]

Hasta La Vista, I’ll be back, Bonzai!

[FlingWingFlyer]

Hey Phil! Who enforces YOUR “international law”? Your sissy boys in the baby blue helmets? ROTFLMAO!!! Take a hike!