I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on

[Slav Defence]

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He said that his mother was not the first innocent victim of drone strike, but that "dozens of people in my own tribe that I know are merely ordinary tribesman had
been killed". He said that numerous families
in his community and the surrounding area
had lost loved ones, including women and
children over the years.
"They have suffered just like I have. I wish they had such an opportunity as well to come tell you their story. Until they can, I
speak on their behalf as well. Drones are not the answer."
Rehman said that although the Pakistani government accepted his claim and confirmed details, it said it was not responsible and he has had no compensation to help with the medical treatment for his children.
Rehman said: "In the end I would just like to ask the American public to treat us as equals. Make sure that your government gives us the same status of a human with basic rights as they do to their own citizens.
We do not kill our cattle the way US is killing humans in Waziristan with drones. This indiscriminate killing has to end and justice must be delivered to those who have suffered at the hands of unjust."
Asked what he would say to President Barack Obama, Rehman called on the Pakistani and US government to work together to achieve peace.
"I would say to President Obama if I had the opportunity to meet with him is:b 'What
happened to me and my family was wrong'.I would ask him to find an end, a peaceful end, to what is happening."
"I think that's something that the
American government and the Pakistani government can work together to achieve."
Missing from the briefing on
Tuesday was the account of Shahzad Akbar, an international critic of US drone policy and the family lawyer, who spearheaded the idea of bringing civilian victims of drone strikes to Congress and who was refused a
visa for the third time. Reprieve, the British rights group which together with Brave New Foundation, helped the Rehman family travel to Washington, said he had 6,000 letters supporting his visit.
The hearing was attended by only five members of Congress, and Grayson said such low numbers of lawmakers at hearings were not unusual. Those attending were all Democrats: Rush Holt of New Jersey, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, John Conyers of Michigan, Rick Nolan of Minnesota, and Grayson, the Florida Democrat responsible for inviting the family to Washington and for holding
the hearing.
Each of the lawmakers spoke about the drone programme to call for transparency or greater oversight.
Schakowsky said she agreed with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and their call for more transparency and debate
about the targeted killing programme. Holt and Conyers called for a congressional
investigation into drone strikes.
Grayson, a fierce critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan told the hearing:
"Invading from the skies is no different from invading on the grounds. We should never accept that children and loved ones
are acceptable collateral damage.” Was there any other human activity, he asked
“where 10-30% of the dead are innocent?”
It began with a broadcast of
Unmanned: America's Drone Wars, a film by Robert Greenwald of Brave New Foundation, which features the Rahman family.
-regards

 

[Jazzbot]

@Slav Defence nice sharing. Its ironic and rather sad how our own people believe that there has been no civilian casualties in drone strikes.

 

[Counter-Errorist]

I don't get what this article is trying to imply. Drones kill people? Drones are not good enough for differentiating between civilians and militants?

Well, so do the alternatives. Hunting down militants with gunships and combat aircrafts do the same. The one major difference is, gunships and aircrafts are forced to fire back if they spot a weapon, while there's no danger to life if a drone is being attacked.

 

[Jazzbot]

When we will be Pakistani first ? ..When Turks, Arab, Afghan, Iranian all nationalist first....whey Pakistan is free land for all socially rejected monsters.

US droning people inside our territory, we are fine with it. And now even Iran is shelling inside our territory and killing our people, and still no reaction from us. I mean, c'mon we can raise our voice at foreign office level via diplomacy but nothing from our side. Wonder were is our national self respect if there is any..

My bigger concern is Punjab govt letting the US do special ops in Punjab province. This news is circulating around these days. It will lead to more foreign interference, more violence and of course more slavery.

Yes sir, they have asked for land in Lahore's sensitive areas to expand their spy network and Punjab Govt has agreed to it. I have shared this in PML-N political desk today.

 

[FaujHistorian]

@FaujHistorian @Imran Khan @pak-marine

What a massive pack of lies, no?

There was a much better analysis of myths vs. reality of drone program by an American drone operator. I think it was on Wired magazine or something.

We all should know the limitations of drone program. Which by the way is the case with EVERY weapon system that it has strengths and limitations.

Countries deploy specific weapons systems knowing full well that they will use the strengths and dread the weaknesses.

On an esteemed forum like PDF we all should know the basics of drones as a weapon system.

Strengths
1. Long term long hours monitoring of an area
2. low cost
3. pilots are out of the harms way

etc.

Weakness
1. long delay with video (so the ground based controllers have to guess the next position)
2. limitations of the video resolution

there could be more.


Pakistanis jumping up and down on drones are just being emotional kids.

For a country of 200 million population
For a country of million man army/rangers/FC
to see 5000 Talibarbarians do the ugly dance against us and against the world

is like a pig forking a lion

and lion complaining to the whole damn world that Talibarbarian pigs are forking me, bachao bachao bachao.


It is time that we the Pakistanis man up and clean $hit from our own house instead of moaning and groaning about some f@rty @rse drone pilot.


peace

 

[Jazzbot]

I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on | Heather Linebaugh | Comment is free | theguardian.com



----------------------------
comments above express the devastation soldiers operating these drones feel.Cause they dont enjoy killing also known as human being.

Let see

1)soldiers that feel guilty that they might have killed a civilian operative word here is ''MIGHT''and it bothers them to a point where they kill themselves cause they might have hurt or killed an innocent person in a far far away land.

On the other hand

2)Terrorist Kill civilians on purpose by committing suicide bombings or remotely detonating bombs to kill as many UN armed civilians or security personals as possible in a country they call home to spread fear and achieve their goals what ever they might b.

You are right, but the thing is, we as a nation are still divided on drones issue after suffering from it since many years. Even a lot of our people believe that there is no civilian casualties in drone attacks while those who are operating drones are saying themselves that drones do kill civilians, that too quite often.

The worst thing is, a lawmaker from our ruling party yesterday said that the drones are a Blessing of God. Well in this thread, the courier man of Blessing of God is explain what kind of blessing it is..

 

[A.Rafay]

I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on | Heather Linebaugh | Comment is free | theguardian.com



----------------------------
comments above express the devastation soldiers operating these drones feel.Cause they dont enjoy killing also known as human being.

Let see

1)soldiers that feel guilty that they might have killed a civilian operative word here is ''MIGHT''and it bothers them to a point where they kill themselves cause they might have hurt or killed an innocent person in a far far away land.

On the other hand

2)Terrorist Kill civilians on purpose by committing suicide bombings or remotely detonating bombs to kill as many UN armed civilians or security personals as possible in a country they call home to spread fear and achieve their goals what ever they might b.

You still justify these drone attacks? What kind of heartless sick guy are you? Terrorists kill civilians?? ofcourse they do thats WHY they are called "Terrorists". But how would you support drone attacks which not only violates our rights and sovereignty but kill civilians women and children!

"MIGHT" might have killed?? you believe Americans more than Pakistanis?? your own people?? Shows who you really support. Civilians have been killed in all drone strikes, countless people have been terrorized and countless have lost their children.

Your kin needs drone on your home to make you understand the situation.

 

[FaujHistorian]

US droning people inside our territory, we are fine with it. And now even Iran is shelling inside our territory and killing our people, and still no reaction from us. I mean, c'mon we can raise our voice at foreign office level via diplomacy but nothing from our side. Wonder were is our national self respect if there is any..




Yes sir, they have asked for land in Lahore's sensitive areas to expand their spy network and Punjab Govt has agreed to it. I have shared this in PML-N political desk today.

This post talks like a dad whose kid goes to the neighbor's house to blow up their toys and hurt their kids.

The neighbor asks the dad to get his "kids" in control

And instead of controlling the kids,

the dad prefers to sleep at home or keep busing making more kids

Finally the neighbor has had it

he comes and slaps the kids and

dad gets out of the forking bedroom

and starts cursing the neighbor and cursing the whole world

and starts using $tupid excuses like---------------------------------------

that my kids are all hafiz Quran, why are you spanking them,

Hafiz Quran have every right to go the neighbor's house to blow up their toys and hurt their kids

Sharia gives my kids every right to do so.

Now this logic may work in Islamists la la land

but it doesn't work in real world.

So anyone who is ready to wake up and see the real world.

Anyone?

 

[VCheng]

All I will say is that war is a dirty business best avoided, but when inevitable, to be conducted with every resource at one's disposal.

 

[FaujHistorian]

You still justify these drone attacks? What kind of heartless sick guy are you? Terrorists kill civilians?? ofcourse they do thats WHY they are called "Terrorists". But how would you support drone attacks which not only violates our rights and sovereignty but kill civilians women and children!

"MIGHT" might have killed?? you believe Americans more than Pakistanis?? your own people?? Shows who you really support. Civilians have been killed in all drone strikes, countless people have been terrorized and countless have lost their children.

Your kin needs drone on your home to make your understand the situation.

yaar. meray bhai

no one is justifying drones.

As a Pakistani we cannot justify drones or unjustfiy them.

That's not in our control.

What is in our control is to keep our areas free from Talibarbarians who are killing our soldiers and our civis.

and not only that,

they go to our neighbor's house and kill their kids and their soldiers and their cvilians


How could one justify that?

Respectfully saying!

 

[Jazzbot]

that my kids are all hafiz Quran, why are you spanking them,
Hafiz Quran have every right to go the neighbor's house to blow up their toys and hurt their kids
Sharia gives my kids every right to do so.

Out of your entire rubbish post, I'd like to respond to these few lines of crap.

Would you mind telling me what do you mean Hafiz Quran has every right to blow up and what's up with bringing Sharia into it? What suicide bombing has to do with being Hafiz Quran? Even my father is a Hafiz Quran and so was my professor in university but both are very nice gentlemen and they don't share any belief with terrorists or suicide bombers whatsoever.

Secondly, about Sharia, please explain what is this Sharia? I haven't seen any book of Sharia? Don't act like a fanatic and don't feed them by supporting their ideology. Infact you and TTP scumbags have one common thing, you both talk about Sharia while in reality Sharia doesn't exist?

I am just curious to know what are your religious believes? I considered you a sane poster till this very moment but now I want to know the level you operate at.

 

[Slav Defence]

@Slav Defence nice sharing. Its ironic and rather sad how our own people believe that there has been no civilian casualties in drone strikes.

@Slav Defence nice sharing. Its ironic and rather sad how our own people believe that there has been no civilian casualties in drone strikes.

jazzbot,
They don't.They want to believe,because their cowardice is refraining them to accept this harsh truth that they lack 'guts' to face or condemn 'United States' regime or to deny such painful deal.When you try to avoid/escape from truth,when you don't want to see your true face in the mirror or when you avoid facts and rely on your own assumption then such 'pseudo' approach is obvious.
I am so not offending anyone.I haven't event browse the entire thread-my observation is general.
I have earlier posted a post by Linda Robinson in senior's cafe,in which you will find her general analysis stating that 'Drone strike aren't always effective to counter terror'.I can reffer you more sources of western and specifically American critics and analysts,in which they will explain you neutrally of Demerits of drone.I reckon that if we keep on targeting our own people,then we will suffer like 1971.

 

[pak-marine]

@FaujHistorian @Imran Khan @pak-marine

What a massive pack of lies, no?

drones killed most wanted terrorists who butchered Pakistanis in thousands .. i will have this drone hovering over the heads of those who wanted to harm us. As for the collateral damage yes innocent deaths are bad and shouldn't happen .. we all condemn it .. but who will say to the terror rats to stop using civilians and human sheilds also why dont the victims file a law suite in international court of justice

 

[Jazzbot]

I have earlier posted a post by Linda Robinson in senior's cafe,in which you will find her general analysis stating that 'Drone strike aren't always effective to counter terror'.I can reffer you more sources of western and specifically American critics and analysts

Agreed with your entire post, could you PM me these details? Ofcourse you can take your time and do it at your ease..

 

[FaujHistorian]

jazzbot,
They don't.They don't want to believe,because their cowardice is refraining them to accept this harsh truth that they lack 'guts' to face or condemn 'United States' regime or to deny such painful deal.When you try to avoid/escape from truth,when you don't want to see your true face in the mirror or when you avoid facts and rely on your own assumption then such 'pseudo' approach is obvious.
I am so not offending anyone.I haven't event browse the entire thread-my observation is general.
I have earlier posted a post by Linda Robinson in senior's cafe,in which you will find her general analysis stating that 'Drone strike aren't always effective to counter terror'.I can reffer you more sources of western and specifically American critics and analysts,in which they will explain you neutrally of Demerits of drone.I reckon that if we keep on targeting our own people,then we will suffer like 1971.

Obviously drone strikes are not effective.

Mullah Mahsood died as a result of eating rotten chana daal. we should blame his non-stop f@rts that ultimately killed him.

Not only the stink killed him but also the men women children sleeping in the same room.

We should truly moarn the loss of men women children sleeping in the same room with Mullah Mashood.

Heck while we are at it

Let's pass resolution for Hazrat Usama bin fing laden rehmatunna Alaihe

He too was killed as a result of the same daal related condition.

May tey be all rest in jahannum

ameen

Out of your entire rubbish post, I'd like to respond to these few lines of crap.

Would you mind telling me what do you mean Hafiz Quran has every right to blow up and what's up with bringing Sharia into it? What suicide bombing has to do with being Hafiz Quran? Even my father is a Hafiz Quran and so was my professor in university but both are very nice gentlemen and they don't share any belief with terrorists or suicide bombers whatsoever.

Secondly, about Sharia, please explain what is this Sharia? I haven't seen any book of Sharia? Don't act like a fanatic and don't feed them by supporting their ideology. Infact you and TTP scumbags have one common thing, you both talk about Sharia while in reality Sharia doesn't exist?

I am just curious to know what are your religious believes? I considered you a sane poster till this very moment but now I want to know the level you operate at.

So you pick up stuff out of context?

Is that how you will apply blasphemy law on us?

Huh?