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."

[lentulusgracchus]

Gosh, shame on me, but ..... he looks a little sweet to me, how about you?

[Rebelbase]

Looks like a good candidate for urban renewal.

[BykrBayb]

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."

That's just silly. We're either targeting particular individuals or carrying out indiscriminate killings. Take your pick. It can't be both.

[Roccus]

Isn’t this essentially what snipers do?

Yup....it's also what any combatant does when he uses his sights on an enemy.

[Little Ray]

I see we have another enemy agent of influence and a subject for a “targeted execution.”

[rbmillerjr]

Yeah the UN wants to investigate our housing also lol.

Pump sand UN scum.

[halfright]

How about you give us one of those tersely worded resolutions that you don’t do anything about??

UN OUT OF USA, USA OUT OF UN NOW! Bunch of Commies and Muslim sympathizers in that building.

[wolfcreek]

WE DON’T ESPOUSE TO INTERNATIONAL LAW, ASSWIPE!!

[csvset]

In other UN news, we have this.

Col. Sanders Impersonator Punks UN

Colonel Sanders impersonator Robert Thompson shakes hands with Libya's Dr. Ali Treki, president of the General Assembly. A spokesman says Treki accepted the handshake because 'he's a very polite man.' (Handout)

[nikos1121]

Heaven help us.

[Lurking in Kansas]

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

Yup, carpet bombing B-52s are acceptable, I guess.

[JoyjoyfromNJ]

Haven’t read all the previous posts but my hunch is that the UN is really worried about the USA using drones on the UN building in NYC. Think how many problems could be solved that way! LOL

[green iguana]

arbitrary executions

Yes, totally arbitrary. It's a known fact that Predators are programmed to shoot the (insert random number here) person they come across.

[Lazamataz]

[Marty62]

Well then lets add:
Surface to air missles, tanks, why H let’s just go all the way, a soldier firing at a enemy combatant fits his discription.
HOW IN THE H DO THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET DRESSED IN THE AM.
HE IS TO DUMB TO EVEN FUNCTION ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.

[Lazamataz]

BTW, the fact that these two headlines appeared moments apart:

• UN investigator warns US on use of drones (targeted executions may violate international law)
• Six UN staff dead in Taliban raid on UN hostel

.....was truly delicious.....

 

 

 

 

[dervish]

exactly.

[markomalley]

use of unmanned warplanes to carry out targeted executions may violate international law.

They're not targeted executions, they are simply neutralizing legitimate command and control nodes.

[rahbert]

looks like a vampire to me.

[TheCornerOffice]

Wow, the irony of these statements when considered alongside the Taliban suicide operation that just wiped out several UN personnel in Kabul.

I was stunned when I saw these two thread headlines in a row in breaking news:

Six UN staff dead in Taliban raid on UN hostel

followed by

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

Gee, seems like they'd be much more concerned about the Taliban's "targeted executions" of their workers and supportive of anything that will keep them safe -- like wiping out the Taliban and AQ. But that would require some common sense.