Emerging from the shadows: US covert drone strikes in 2012

[No Elephants]

Emerging from the shadows: US covert drone strikes in 2012

January 3rd, 2013 | by Chris Woods, Jack Serle and Alice K. Ross | Published in All Stories, Covert Drone War, Drone War, Monthly Updates on the Covert War, Top Stories

Reported civilian deaths fell sharply in Pakistan in 2012, with Bureau data suggesting that a minimum of 2.5% of those reported killed were civilians – compared with more than 14% in 2011. This suggests the CIA is seeking to limit non-militant casualties, perhaps as a result of sustained criticism.

Drone strikes in Pakistan are now at their lowest level in five years, as Islamabad protests almost every attack. The CIA also appears to have abandoned ‘signature strikes’ on suspected militants fitting certain patterns of behaviour – at least for the present. Almost all attacks in recent months have been against named al Qaeda and other militant leaders.

As drone strikes fell in Pakistan they rose steeply in Yemen, as US forces aided a major military campaign to oust al Qaeda and other Islamists from southern cities. A parallel CIA targeted killing programme killed numerous alleged militants, many of them named individuals. Yet US officials took more than three months to confirm that American planes or drones had killed 12 civilians.

Little is still known about US drone strikes in Somalia, with only two credibly reported incidents in 2012. One of those killed was a British-Somali militant, Bilal al-Barjawi.

In 2012,the US also chose to loosen the bonds of secrecy on its 10-year-old drone targeted killing programme. A number of senior officials went on the record about aspects of the covert war. But details of those killed – still a highly contentious issue - remain classified.


Covert Drone War
Emerging from the shadows: US covert drone strikes in 2012

January 3rd, 2013 | by Chris Woods, Jack Serle and Alice K. Ross | Published in All Stories, Covert Drone War, Drone War, Monthly Updates on the Covert War, Top Stories

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MQ-9 Reeper at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada (USAF /Lance Cheung)

An MQ-9 Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada (USAF/Lance Cheung)

Reported civilian deaths fell sharply in Pakistan in 2012, with Bureau data suggesting that a minimum of 2.5% of those reported killed were civilians – compared with more than 14% in 2011. This suggests the CIA is seeking to limit non-militant casualties, perhaps as a result of sustained criticism.

Drone strikes in Pakistan are now at their lowest level in five years, as Islamabad protests almost every attack. The CIA also appears to have abandoned ‘signature strikes’ on suspected militants fitting certain patterns of behaviour – at least for the present. Almost all attacks in recent months have been against named al Qaeda and other militant leaders.

As drone strikes fell in Pakistan they rose steeply in Yemen, as US forces aided a major military campaign to oust al Qaeda and other Islamists from southern cities. A parallel CIA targeted killing programme killed numerous alleged militants, many of them named individuals. Yet US officials took more than three months to confirm that American planes or drones had killed 12 civilians.

Little is still known about US drone strikes in Somalia, with only two credibly reported incidents in 2012. One of those killed was a British-Somali militant, Bilal al-Barjawi.

In 2012,the US also chose to loosen the bonds of secrecy on its 10-year-old drone targeted killing programme. A number of senior officials went on the record about aspects of the covert war. But details of those killed – still a highly contentious issue - remain classified.

The year also saw a number of significant legal challenges to the campaign, most of them ultimately unsuccessful. UN experts also announced a study into possible war crimes, partly in response to a Bureau/Sunday Times investigation.

[Enthusiast]

1. What happens when we run out of targets?

Will we look for a new enemy? You know, to justify an ever growing military budget?

[No Elephants]

2. That's the beauty of the War on Terror. It never ends. And things like

occupying other nations, violating their sovereignty, drone killings, etc. insure there will be more and more people who think we must be punished. So, drone killings of suspected terrorists will breed more terrorists.

Big Brother had to fake a never ending war. Nothing bogus about us, though. We create real never ending wars.

Good for our CICs, too.

America has never failed to re-elect a President who ran for re-election during war time, including Lincoln, Bush and Obama, all of whom presided over very divided people.

If wars never end, we can look forward to many more two term Presidents. Heck, maybe we'll evem start clamoring for a constitutional amendment, so we can have multi-term Presidents. So much safer and more prudent during war time not to switch Presidents in mid war. And the markets get more certainty, which, we are told, markets cherish.

War is Peace.

War is Politics.

War is Profit.