White House Defends Drone Attacks, "Kill List"

source

The White House responded Tuesday to criticism of the Obama administration’s use of drone attacks and a so-called “kill list,” saying President Obama will do what is necessary to protect Americans from harm.

“President Obama made clear from the start to his advisers and to the world that we were going to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the American people from harm, and particularly from a terrorist attack,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

The story has resulted a range of concerns and questions – including about the legality of such attacks in countries where the United States is technically not at war and the moral implications of Obama deciding whether to OK a drone strike that could potentially kill civilians, as well as whether the Times interviews resulted in potential security leaks.

So if I understand this correctly, the drones are being used to carry out missions on foreign soil. But with the arrival of the drones in American airspace, how much longer will it be before Obama (or whomever) decides to take out a political target in the name of terrorism? I can see that unfolding all too easily. I can also see a situation where a drone attacks and kills a large group of innocents who happened to be with the target, and the administration cries accident or technical difficulty.

Are there differences in using drones versus smart bombs? The bombs also rack up a huge collateral damage toll, so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts, ATS.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
The White House responded Tuesday to criticism of the Obama administration’s use of drone attacks and a so-called “kill list,” saying President Obama will do what is necessary to protect Americans from harm.

I'm not a huge fan of Obama, but no one can doubt that he has the backbone to use military force to protect America.

I admire the man for that.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by smyleegrl
The White House responded Tuesday to criticism of the Obama administration’s use of drone attacks and a so-called “kill list,” saying President Obama will do what is necessary to protect Americans from harm.

I'm not a huge fan of Obama, but no one can doubt that he has the backbone to use military force to protect America.

I admire the man for that.

Killing hundreds of innocent civialians in drone strikes just to take out a handfull of alleged "terrorists" does nothing to protect America, your a fool if you think it does.At the end of the day whats the difference between a drone strike missing its target in Pakistan and killing innocent civilians and terrorists putting a bomb in a US shopping mall and doing the same? i dont see any difference.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by smyleegrl
The White House responded Tuesday to criticism of the Obama administration’s use of drone attacks and a so-called “kill list,” saying President Obama will do what is necessary to protect Americans from harm.

I'm not a huge fan of Obama, but no one can doubt that he has the backbone to use military force to protect America.

I admire the man for that.

But is that where his intentions stop? Is it truly for the good of Americans?
What happens after he leaves office, whether in this election or the next. Will the next POTUS use these drones inappropriately?

The whole thing makes me nervous.

Originally posted by auraelium
Killing hunreds of innocent civialians in drone strikes just to take out a handfull of alleged "terrorists" does nothing to protect America, your a fool if you think it does.

Luckily, Obama refuses to fight the war against terrorism with one arm tied behind his back.

Drone strikes have been very successful at killing terrorists.

When will we have a president, who makes a promise to protect the americans personal freedoms and liberty?

Its always about making us safe... what about making/keeping us free?

You know, upholding the constitution?

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by auraelium
Killing hunreds of innocent civialians in drone strikes just to take out a handfull of alleged "terrorists" does nothing to protect America, your a fool if you think it does.

Luckily, Obama refuses to fight the war against terrorism with one arm tied behind his back.

Drone strikes have been very successful at killing terrorists.

But they have been even more sucessful at killing children.

reply to post by auraelium


Heartbreaking pic, and one I wish I hadn't seen.

in countries where the United States is technically not at war

That is the statement that caught my eye. It sounds like Obama would be planning to use this weapon anywhere he pleases against anyone. I agree with the OP about the collateral damages -- I think our government doesn't give a $ht about who may be near their target. If an innocent (or a number of them) get hurt, well it was their fault for being near the target at that time right? How do they even know they can trust their "intelligence"? How do they know that the person they are targeting is actually an "enemy" to begin with? Maybe that person was just ratted out by someone for any reason at all...maybe someone didn't like him/her and wanted him/her offed.

It reminds me of the Inquisition when people were encouraged to turn neighbors (or anyone) into the church for being heretics or witches. For fear or becoming a victim of the church themselves many people would turn in neighbors, friends and family members -- even though these people were innocent --to the inquisitors just so that THEY, the accuser, the rat, would look better in the eyes of the church. We now have the same situation going on today...except instead of accusing neighbors or the guy on the street of being a heretic, now he/she is a terrorist.

SEND IN THE DRONES



ETA: From The History of the World Part One (just because I want to )

Will you convert? No, no, no, no!
Will you confess? No, no, no, no!
Will you revert? No, no, no, no!
Will you say yes? No, no, no, no!

Originally posted by smyleegrl
reply to post by auraelium

 

Heartbreaking pic, and one I wish I hadn't seen.

You hit the nail on the head there , thats the problem, through the media blackout the US government enforces in war zones people have become detached from the through reality of what their brave men and women sitting in a flight simulator in their country are doing.

protecting america?
with things like this
its obvious to anyone with even half a brain

america as most people loved it is now just a rotting stinking dead corpse being fed off by a bunch of parasitical conquering foreigners,...who rent people ( a form of nencrophiliac prostitutiuon) to obfuscate on forums like ATS

Originally posted by auraelium

Originally posted by smyleegrl
reply to post by auraelium

 

Heartbreaking pic, and one I wish I hadn't seen.

You hit the nail on the head there , thats the problem, through the media blackout the US government enforces in war zones people have become detached from the through reality of what their brave men and women sitting in a flight simulator in their country are doing.

edit on 30-5-2012 by auraelium because: (no reason given)

Yes, you are right. We've dehumanized the "enemy" to such an extreme that when innocents die we don't even care.
These photos, as incredibly disturbing as they are, should be seen by everyone. We should also see the photos of our soldiers who've been blown up by the roadside bombs. We need to "see" this war in terns of its real cost: human life.

Killing with drones is too easy, impersonal and unethical.
The big push is coming to put them all over the US to spy on us at a minimum or worse if they feel the need to.
If the sheer intimidation fails to keep the public in line they won't hesitate to treat us the same as these poor Pakistanis who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At the core of it drone use turns war in to a video game, just targets on a screen instead of flesh and blood human beings.
Every American kid is already a well trained warrior in the new mode of robotic warfare.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
At the core of it drone use turns war in to a video game, just targets on a screen instead of flesh and blood human beings.
Every American kid is already a well trained warrior in the new mode of robotic warfare.

True statement, and terrifyingly chilling.

Do they know whomever they kill on purpose, or by accident, has friends and family who will seek revenge.. lol
It will never end, ever.

In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-”independent” advocates to “cognitively infiltrate” online groups and websites

www.salon.com...

in suppport of my last post
when you see the indefensible being defended....
these drones are here now

Originally posted by CALGARIAN
Do they know whomever they kill on purpose, or by accident, has friends and family who will seek revenge.. lol
It will never end, ever.

You know, I think they do know this, and continue their actions on purpose.

Its like a magic trick. Misdirection with one hand, while the other engages in something...nefarious.

If they can keep us all tied up in petty wars, what are they doing with that other hand?

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
Killing with drones is too easy, impersonal and unethical.
The big push is coming to put them all over the US to spy on us at a minimum or worse if they feel the need to.
If the sheer intimidation fails to keep the public in line they won't hesitate to treat us the same as these poor Pakistanis who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At the core of it drone use turns war in to a video game, just targets on a screen instead of flesh and blood human beings.
Every American kid is already a well trained warrior in the new mode of robotic warfare.

Name one thing about war in general that could be considered ethical? Any war or war like action is vulgar in nature and pulls no punches. It doesnt make what they are doing right however. In all honesty a pre WW II America is what I would go after right about now. And I would leave the world to its paces.

It is actions like these from our higher ups as being the reason I don't give the US military much sympathy. They aren't protecting America the nation, they're protecting America incorparated. One day theyll wake up to that fact and decide to jump down off the cross.

Im not anti-military, I did my time. I am anti stupidity. And anyone joining a all volunteer force in this day and age is either in fantasy land, or theyre plain stupid. Its not worth the hassle quite frankly.

reply to post by GrandHeretic


I've been reading the book "A Game of Thrones" and there is a scene that really sticks out to me.

A man is condemned to death by beheading, and the Lord is the one who performs the execution. Afterwards, he asks his son why it was important for him to kill the person. After all, the Lord could simply command another to do so and no one would think differently.

Then the Lord explained. He said that if he believed a man should die, then he should be the one to carry out the sentence. Otherwise, killing becomes to easy.

I think it fits with war today.

i wanna know if the Libya attacks were so targeted and meant to be very specific and centralized... why did they use bombs that purposefully produce that much shrapnel?

I'm not understanding this decision other than it can only be about elite interest. I mean i know that shouldn't sound surprising.. there just seems to be no hope for our government and I am *almost* convinced that the Obama administration is not as war mongering as some, but seriously... wth? I'm CERTAIN they could have used something different if they were just so hell bent on dropping bombs over there... even though it still reeks of elite agenda, but damn... that was just purely nasty.

yeah, go help the citizens... shrapnel flying ALL OVER citizens.

that's more like sending a message TO CITIZENS if you ask me.