The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) last month began to publish their findings in a study of the U.S. drone war in Pakistan. The study found that much higher rates of civilian casualties had resulted from the U.S. drone war than had been admitted by the government or than had been reported in the press.
As I blogged about at the time, just prior to the study’s publication, high level Obama administration officials actually dared to say publicly that the drone attacks had killed zero civilians. The substantiated findings of the study made foolish liars out of the Obama administration. To boot, there was also Noor Behram, who had been on the ground in Pakistan tallying the dead, estimating that “for every 10 to 15 people killed, maybe they get one militant.”
TBIJ has now come out with news that an estimated 168 innocent children have been killed in the strikes.
I’m waiting with bated breath for the public outcry in America, and the subsequent criminal investigation of those in the highest reaches of our government. And by that I mean the systematic disregard for the murder of “others” and total impunity for the criminals in charge.
PHOTO CAPTION
US soldiers speak to Afghan children during a joint security patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers in the center of Kandalay village, in Kandahar province southern Afghanistan on August 4, 2011.
Source: Agencies