After an American drone accidentally kills two Al Qaeda hostages held in Pakistan, President Obama took the unusual step of apologizing because one was an American aid worker. However, the New York Times noted as an aside that it typically takes weeks to identify drone casualties. Why don’t they know who they’re killing in advance?
It’s the IDs, Stupid
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Easy answer – Whether based on verified or unverified info, it’s shoot first and ask questions later. That’s the way they roll…
It reminds me of a routine Sam Kinison had about Iraq and Gulf War I: “Yeah, the Scud missile is *kinda* like the smart bomb – what they do is launch it and then turn on CNN to find out where it landed…”
The chap on the right knows how to deal with the issue – just keep looking up ! On the other hand, that’s probably not a good way to get across the street….
Henri
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen “experts” speaking in awe of the smart bombs or drones that save civilian lives with pinpoint accuracy.
Expect many more such statements ; «experts» are cheap, at least by Pentagon standards….
Henri
Well, there may be some confusion but ONE thing is clear. Those two were apparently cynically faking being hostages. They are now confirmed dead THEREFORE they were, in fact, terrorists. Case effin’ closed.
Drones uber alles!!!!
Quod erat demonstrandum….
Henri