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?