What will the US do?
The AP reports a potential problem for the administration:
A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States Tuesday that its use of unmanned warplanes to carry out targeted executions may violate international law.
Philip Alston said that unless the Obama administration explains the legal basis for targeting particular individuals and the measures it is taking to comply with international humanitarian law which prohibits arbitrary executions, “it will increasingly be perceived as carrying out indiscriminate killings in violation of international law.”
Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s investigator on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, raised the issue of U.S. Predator drones in a report to the General Assembly’s human rights committee and at a news conference afterwards, saying he has become increasingly concerned at the dramatic increase in their use, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, since June.
He said the U.S. response — that the Geneva-based council and the General Assembly have no role in relation to killings during an armed conflict — “is simply untenable.”
“That would remove the great majority of issues that come before these bodies right now,” Alston said. “The onus is really on the government of the United States to reveal more about the ways in which it makes sure that arbitrary executions, extrajudicial executions are not, in fact, being carried out through the use of these weapons.”
Interesting conundrum. Appeasing the UN would take the Biden option off the table for Afghanistan. What will the administration do when it seems unlikely that a real surge will be implemented?
October 29th, 2009 at 8:47 am
I think Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize covers this. Clearly this UN apparatchik has Nobel envy.
Thanks for the warning… now lets move along. Nothing to see here.
You don’t seriously think the Nobel committee could give it’s award to a war criminal?
October 29th, 2009 at 9:25 am
“A U.N. human rights investigator warned the United States Tuesday that its use of unmanned warplanes to carry out… TARGETED EXECUTIONS… may violate international law.
Philip Alston said that unless the Obama administration explains the legal basis for…TARGETING PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS……. “it will increasingly be perceived as carrying out …..INDISCRIMINATE KILLINGS”
WTF?
I guess I didn’t go to the right feather merchant skool.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
This is exactly why the Peace Prize was given: to influence US foreign policy. It also proves the point that a sitting POTUS should never accept this award.
Right now the administration is looking for a way out of this. Most likely they will use the press covereage supplied by the Taliban which states that far too many civilians are being killed and maimed in these attacks. As a result, they must be stopped.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:02 am
BC: I don’t think using Taliban press guidance (or coverage) will work: it talks about civilians. The UN is worried about targeting “particular individuals,” presumably not civilians. (I know, that doesn’t make a lot of sense — a target implies that a particular objective — person or piece of paper doesn’t matter — is being aimed at. Would they prefer we target just anyone instead of particular individuals? Or shoot without targeting?)
Does anyone remember “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?” When I hear UN officials talk I’m reminded of that novel and the interaction in the psychiatric ward. F