Not Even the White House Knows the Drones' Body Count

Not Even the White House Knows the Drones' Body Count

www.wired.com

Government officials claim they’re ultra-precise killing machines that never, ever miss their targets. Outside groups say they’re covered in children’s blood. The fact is no one has a clue exactly how many militants and how many innocents have been slain in the U.S. drone war that spans from Pakistan to Somalia. Remember that before you start your next Twitter feud about the drone war.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is a fantastic article about the drone war going on in the Middle East and Africa. According to Wired the drone strike body count is at best an educated guess.

Neither the American government nor the independent agencies have the consistent presence on the ground needed to put together true assessments of the damage drone strikes do. Most of the evidence is third-hand, whispered from a local soldier to a far-off reporter. The death toll claims, which vary wildly, are all educated guesswork.

The article goes on talking about the White House's claims from the NY Times that civilian death counts are in the single digit but as per usual the Gov't is lying and at best the politicians don't know the real body counts because not only is the information about the drone strike aftermath limited and shaky but the strikes themselves are compartmentalized and secret. So the Obama administration doesn't even have full knowledge of whats being hit and not. There are those who know, or at least have a better idea, but they don't talk about their missions.

The article goes on and makes other great points such as a drone strike gone wrong in Pakistan, ie civilians killed and/or property destroyed, and there is NO restitution paid to the Pakistanis. Not only that, but if you're a young male living in an area that the many many drones are constantly patrolling then you are considered a suspect by default.

The article is a real eye opener and should give any American an idea of what's to come to a sky near them real soon.

www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Swills

Typical government BS. Seems like everyone knows except them.

Drone attacks are 'killing 49 people for every known terrorist in Pakistan'

Researchers added that traumatic effects of the strikes go far beyond fatalities, psychologically battering a population which lives under the daily threat of annihilation from the air, and ruining the local economy.

"Known terrorist". Wonder what he or she did to earn that title, wake up in the morning?

Not if, but when the US experiences blowback as result of these attacks, think they'll acknowledge their own actions or just shove the same old "terrorist terrorist, Moslem, Islam, they wanna kill us all" propaganda down our throats?

Scary indeed and.....

The CIA relies on local informants to help guide the strikes; that sows suspicion in these communities, pitting one neighbor against the next.

From OP link

So if an informant has a problem with you for whatever reason your name can go to the CIA, that's comforting.

And if the White House truly doesn't know wouldn't it be a good idea to, I don't know, STOP, unless of course, civilian lives aren't worth anything, which I guess, they aren't.....

Drone Strikes = Cowardly Warfare.

God, I hate what the world has come to

Originally posted by TheSparrowSings
Drone Strikes = Cowardly Warfare.

God, I hate...

Agreed.

So is brainwashing a young impressionable believer to blow themselves up in the name of that God.

Just saying is all.
I hate both

Something else that is cowardly?

German U-boat wolf packs of WW 1 and 2, and the Japanese failed balloon bomb plan.

For historical context that body count would be lower if those people did not surround themselves with friends and family.

Nevermind US evil...Drones evil...forget the cruise missile strikes of the 90s, or mines exploding in the 80s etc.

Meh.

I have and will always condemn the acts of cowards that strap bombs to themselves and walk into markets.

I will always condemn the deaths of innocents.

The use of drones is no different.

War is an ugly, disgusting thing. The military is filled with noble people willing to do the hard things, the difficult things.
They have to do their job when politicians fail to do theirs.

The use of drones, however, is a disgusting act. It takes the human element out of warfare and replaces it with an aloof "video-game" approach. I hate the use of drones and abhor their "success" rates.

My humble 2 cents.

reply to post by beezzer

The use of drones, however, is a disgusting act. It takes the human element out of warfare and replaces it with an aloof "video-game" approach. I hate the use of drones and abhor their "success" rates.

Waiting for the day that those suicide bombers finally figure out they don't actually respawn.

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by beezzer

 

The use of drones, however, is a disgusting act. It takes the human element out of warfare and replaces it with an aloof "video-game" approach. I hate the use of drones and abhor their "success" rates.

Waiting for the day that those suicide bombers finally figure out they don't actually respawn.

Amen!

I'm also waiting for the day when there are no wars. Probably gonna be a long wait.

Drones 2.0 will be using Directed Energy to kill and make sick people globally.

They will be even better because....NOBODY will even know they got zapped. America's death machines are getting hyper refined and I pity the souls who walk this planet after us.

God doesn't decide who walks planet Earth anymore.

Zion's here. Bow down to your new Gods or else.

reply to post by Swills


First, there will not be armed drones in US skies, raining missles down on the US civilian population.

Second, show me a President that knew accurately how many people their bombs killed.


Go on...

How many people died in Fallujuh?

Dresden?

Hiroshima?

Waterloo?

It's un-knowable. Always has been.

Originally posted by beezzer
I have and will always condemn the acts of cowards that strap bombs to themselves and walk into markets.

I will always condemn the deaths of innocents.

The use of drones is no different.

War is an ugly, disgusting thing. The military is filled with noble people willing to do the hard things, the difficult things.
They have to do their job when politicians fail to do theirs.

The use of drones, however, is a disgusting act. It takes the human element out of warfare and replaces it with an aloof "video-game" approach. I hate the use of drones and abhor their "success" rates.

My humble 2 cents.

edit on 30-9-2012 by beezzer because: (no reason given)

Drones are awful, but are primarily driven by two conflicting things:

- Americans not wanting to see US soldiers dying in US started wars
- American supporting US wars and foreign policy

"Seven months prior to the September 11 attacks a Gallup poll showed that 52% would favor an invasion of Iraq "

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by longlostbrother


War is "easier" when the good guys don't get all blowed up.

Unfortunately, that makes war more palatable when it's seen as "Gears Of War" on a Nintendo screen.

War should never been seen as palatable. War should never be seen as just another choice. Ultimately, MORE fine soldiers will die simply because there will be more of these video-game style wars.

In my humble opinion.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by longlostbrother

 

War is "easier" when the good guys don't get all blowed up.

Unfortunately, that makes war more palatable when it's seen as "Gears Of War" on a Nintendo screen.

War should never been seen as palatable. War should never be seen as just another choice. Ultimately, MORE fine soldiers will die simply because there will be more of these video-game style wars.

In my humble opinion.

We agree 100%

Whether or not its a drone that does the killing is irrelevant.

You are either content to be in the assassination business as a nation, or you aren't. Accepting that as human error/equipment failures are unavoidable you'll sometimes murder the innocent.

If you are not content then campaign for it to stop.

If you are content then moaning about the mechanism is pointless. Lots of macho guff. If you have to kill somebody kill him from a distance when he's sleeping. He's no less dead if you kick his door down and shoot him in the face.

The problem is censorship of war reporting, it should be illegal. Average joe in the street should see the spilled children's brains and entrails while he's eating his TV dinner. Then we'll really evaluate whether its necessary or not.

Originally posted by justwokeup
Whether or not its a drone that does the killing is irrelevant.

You are either content to be in the assassination business as a nation, or you aren't. Accepting that as human error/equipment failures are unavoidable you'll sometimes murder the innocent.

If you are not content then campaign for it to stop.

If you are content then moaning about the mechanism is pointless. Lots of macho guff. If you have to kill somebody kill him from a distance when he's sleeping. He's no less dead if you kick his door down and shoot him in the face.

The problem is censorship of war reporting, it should be illegal. Average joe in the street should see the spilled children's brains and entrails while he's eating his TV dinner. Then we'll really evaluate whether its necessary or not.

yes and no...

imagine the number of vegetarians that would be created in McDonalds started killing cows in front of the customers...

People KNOW they're eating a dead animal, but... they don't have to see it, so... you know... bliss

Originally posted by longlostbrother

Originally posted by justwokeup
Whether or not its a drone that does the killing is irrelevant.

You are either content to be in the assassination business as a nation, or you aren't. Accepting that as human error/equipment failures are unavoidable you'll sometimes murder the innocent.

If you are not content then campaign for it to stop.

If you are content then moaning about the mechanism is pointless. Lots of macho guff. If you have to kill somebody kill him from a distance when he's sleeping. He's no less dead if you kick his door down and shoot him in the face.

The problem is censorship of war reporting, it should be illegal. Average joe in the street should see the spilled children's brains and entrails while he's eating his TV dinner. Then we'll really evaluate whether its necessary or not.

yes and no...

imagine the number of vegetarians that would be created in McDonalds started killing cows in front of the customers...

That would be a bad thing because....?

If you think war is an unavoidable necessity, if you want to vote for it, you should able to stomach it.

The world is as screwed as it is because people are encouraged to be blissfully apathetic to whats happening.

Theres little point having a military answerable to the people if the people are blissfully ignorant.

Originally posted by justwokeup

The problem is censorship of war reporting, it should be illegal. Average joe in the street should see the spilled children's brains and entrails while he's eating his TV dinner. Then we'll really evaluate whether its necessary or not.

I agree. Let's put on TV news of the carnage wrought by radical Islamist suicide bombers all over the world. Show the world the innocent, men, women and children's brains all spilling out from the carnages wrought by those monsters.

Let's show Iran's use of mere children being blown up to clear mine fields for that soldiers can cross into Iraq terroritories during their war with Iraq.

Let's show Syria's regime's torturings, execution, butchering and slaughtering of innocent men, women and children for the past decades..

Want more? Let's not be bias. I am all for end of wars. But it takes one to start and another to end it. Screaming and tearing your heart against the good guys aint gonna stop wars.

How many drone kills were there? Why not ask - how many innocent men, women and children around the world had been saved from those known terrorists done dead by drones?

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101

Originally posted by justwokeup

The problem is censorship of war reporting, it should be illegal. Average joe in the street should see the spilled children's brains and entrails while he's eating his TV dinner. Then we'll really evaluate whether its necessary or not.

I agree. Let's put on TV news of the carnage wrought by radical Islamist suicide bombers all over the world. Show the world the innocent, men, women and children's brains all spilling out from the carnages wrought by those monsters.

Let's show Iran's use of mere children being blown up to clear mine fields for that soldiers can cross into Iraq terroritories during their war with Iraq.

Let's show Syria's regime's torturings, execution, butchering and slaughtering of innocent men, women and children for the past decades..

Want more? Let's not be bias. I am all for end of wars. But it takes one to start and another to end it. Screaming and tearing your heart against the good guys aint gonna stop wars.

How many drone kills were there? Why not ask - how many innocent men, women and children around the world had been saved from those known terrorists done dead by drones?

edit on 30-9-2012 by SeekerofTruth101 because: (no reason given)

I agree. Let the world be seen without a filter.

If whats seen is distorted/filtered then judgements on whether the pain and death is essential/unavoidable cannot be made.