UN: Obama’s Drone Program Violates International Law

[ScienceRocks]

Interesting------but there is no such thing as international law.

Not sure where you are coming from, as I understand there certainly is international law. Most of which is not compulsory but law none the less.

I guess the real question is, are we still at war? Were we ever actually in a declared war? If there is no international law then what were the 9/11 hijackers guilty of? Was it merely a civil offense of murder? If so then what was the justification for war with Afghanistan?

Any way there are people that argue the case both ways. Here is an interesting article:

PolitiFact | Do drone attacks comply with international law?

Do normal airstrikes
Do cruise missiles?
and does special forces going into other nations?

Is all this illegal?

What makes drones so special in order to get special treatment???? We're also doing airstrikes with piloted airplanes throughout Afghanistan.

We could use planes(piloted) just as easily.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Leg hump alert^^ but back to the original topic - drones only create more terrorists a great deal of the time.

So does 100,000 troops on the ground and airstrikes. Probably more.

All drones do is take out the leadership that sends the fighters to kill our troops.

 

[Freewill]

Good, I'm glad that we are in violation of "international" law (whatever the hell that is).

If it means that we keep knocking off Al Quadia, I hope we get found guilty too. Can't wait for that "law" to be enforced upon us - maybe the USA will get prison time? Guess our b**** is going to be some other arrested country like Kurdistan? (wink)

Plus, the US can work on it's physique.

I don't have a problem with "knocking off" the bad people. I have a problem when the US knocks off innocent people and no I don't believe that threat is big enough now to just say oops. The drone program killed a 16 year old America who was absolutely no threat to the US and he was targeted. Obviously incorrectly, either by those on the ground doing the targeting or by the US. The problem is there is absolutely no accountability. I don't care if GWB was doing the same thing it just doesn't seem right. There is a reason for the rule of law in my opinion.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Good, I'm glad that we are in violation of "international" law (whatever the hell that is).

If it means that we keep knocking off Al Quadia, I hope we get found guilty too. Can't wait for that "law" to be enforced upon us - maybe the USA will get prison time? Guess our b**** is going to be some other arrested country like Kurdistan? (wink)

Plus, the US can work on it's physique.

I don't have a problem with "knocking off" the bad people. I have a problem when the US knocks off innocent people and no I don't believe that threat is big enough now to just say oops. The drone program killed a 16 year old America who was absolutely no threat to the US and he was targeted. Obviously incorrectly, either by those on the ground doing the targeting or by the US. The problem is there is absolutely no accountability. I don't care if GWB was doing the same thing it just doesn't seem right. There is a reason for the rule of law in my opinion.

Bush killed half a million innocent people with SHOCK and AWE throughout Iraq. Do you really fucking believe we don't kill innocent people with piloted airstrikes?

The only reason you're attacking this is because you hate the ******. What the fuck do you think happens when we drop bombs on terrorist targets be it airplane or cruise missiles.

 

[RoadVirus]

The entire UN needs to go take a flying leap into the Hudson River.

 

[ScienceRocks]

What makes it ok for us to drop bombs out of a PILOTED AIRPLANE?

What the fuck makes it ok for us to fire missiles at targets out of a destroyer?

 

[Jackson]

The thread title says:

UN: Obama’s Drone Program Violates International Law

but the content of the 'supporting' article says:



"A United Nations investigation has so far identified 33 drone strikes around the world that have resulted in civilian casualties and may have violated international humanitarian law....

and

“While the fact that civilians have been killed or injured does not necessarily point to a violation of international humanitarian law, it undoubtedly raises issues of accountability and transparency,” the study notes."

Why is it so hard for posters to be honest on this forum?

It raises issues of accountability and transparency? At least he's open about the use of drones! One of the few things he is open about!
And you say it is hard for posters to be honest on the forum? They are being open about the use of drones, too! Just what are you so upset about?

 

[Freewill]

UN: Obama’s Drone Program Violates International Law

The OP is a liar and completely misrepresents the events at the UN, where that organization made no determination that the drone programs ‘violate’ international law.

The two reports concerning the issue were in the context of an initial debate by member states investigating the potential for violations of international law; again, there was no final resolution by the UN that the drone programs in fact violated international law. Indeed, one report acknowledged the fact that such a conclusion could not be reached:

In his opening remarks to the UN debate, Heyns said "drones are here to stay". He argued that it was hard to make a case that unmanned aircraft were inherently illegal: "It is difficult to suggest that a weapon system is unlawful because a pilot is not on board."

But he added that drones were easy to deploy across international borders, often secretly. "So it is my view that although they are not illegal, they do pose a challenge, particularly as they are used often in secret, raising accountability issues."

US defends drone strikes as 'necessary and just' in face of UN criticism | World news | theguardian.com

Interesting the take the liberal left has on this issue. Wonder if it would have been the same had we known what we do during Bush. As for your bolded statement. The question was never if the use of drones violated international law. The question is if by their use are we violating international law. As for the title in the OP I too agree it is a little bit of hyperbole to say they have decided it was in violation of international law. But I didn't want to change the title and then seem as if I were hiding something, which is what you would have said, I believe. The reason the UN, and others, can't determine the legality is that everything is being kept secret, except the results.

So answer me truthfully, should we as a nation just say oops when we kill an innocent person and not as collateral damage, in a country that is suppose to be our ally?

What this topic brings out to me is how many people have a secret desire to be cowboys as Bush was called.

Here from the ACLU web site: https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/drones

The CIA and the military are carrying out an illegal “targeted killing” program in which people far from any battlefield are determined to be enemies of the state and killed without charge or trial.

The executive branch has, in effect, claimed the unchecked authority to put the names of citizens and others on “kill lists” on the basis of a secret determination, based on secret evidence, that a person meets a secret definition of the enemy. The targeted killing program operates with virtually no oversight outside the executive branch, and essential details about the program remain secret, including what criteria are used to put people on CIA and military kill lists or how much evidence is required.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Join Al Qaeda or Taliban = become the enemy.

How hard is this to understand?

Do you really believe that these people couldn't be killed by PILOTED airplanes or destroyer missiles.

 

[tinydancer]

He lives to kill.

If you guys don't understand this yet well let someone help you and it won't be Jehovah.

Obama is the king of nuking families signing off on so called terrorists.

He loves it. Libs love it. Just kill families on drone strikes. You fucking liberals just love it eh?

 

[Freewill]

Fuck international law. Drop drones on all those terrorists. It's one of the rare programs that Obama has pursued that I agree with.

OK, I can go with that, only who gets to pick whom gets killed? Do you really trust the CIA that much?

I realize I am on the very unpopular side of this issue. But it just seems to me that there is just too much of this type of killing being done in the world today. Before WW2 the targeting of civilians was NEVER even considered in "modern" warfare. Now civilians are treated as collateral damage. I think we have come down as a society.

 

[ScienceRocks]

He lives to kill.

If you guys don't understand this yet well let someone help you and it won't be Jehovah.

Obama is the king of nuking families signing off on so called terrorists.

He loves it. Libs love it. Just kill families on drone strikes. You fucking liberals just love it eh?

So did Reagan, Clinton and Bush. Bush killed a half a million innocent people through airstrikes and cruise missiles.

People die when we go to take out the terrorist.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Fuck international law. Drop drones on all those terrorists. It's one of the rare programs that Obama has pursued that I agree with.

OK, I can go with that, only who gets to pick whom gets killed? Do you really trust the CIA that much?

I realize I am on the very unpopular side of this issue. But it just seems to me that there is just too much of this type of killing being done in the world today. Before WW2 the targeting of civilians was NEVER even considered in "modern" warfare. Now civilians are treated the collateral damage. I think we have come down as a society.

I think bombing entire buildings with piloted airplanes shows even less respect for civilians.

These terrorist hide out around them.

 

[Freewill]

The Hague, Netherlands. Where the World Court is.

So what's the Punishment if the USA does NOT abide? We no longer have the right to police the rest of the world?

Awesomesauce!

(does happy dance)

POLICE the world, I am all for it. Use the rule of law to POLICE the world, go for it. But to allow the CIA and one man, whether Bush or Obama, to be judge jury and executioner just doesn't seem to ring true to a free country ruled by law. What difference is there to the drone program and Gitmo? Or the British in 1772 forcibly taking away colonialists without due process?

 

[ScienceRocks]

What makes it ok for us to drop bombs out of a PILOTED AIRPLANE?

What the fuck makes it ok for us to fire missiles at targets out of a destroyer?

You best believe a hell of a lot of innocent people were slaughtered under GEORGE BUSH. Bloody fucking Bush.

 

[ScienceRocks]

The Hague, Netherlands. Where the World Court is.

So what's the Punishment if the USA does NOT abide? We no longer have the right to police the rest of the world?

Awesomesauce!

(does happy dance)

POLICE the world, I am all for it. Use the rule of law to POLICE the world, go for it. But to allow the CIA and one man, whether Bush or Obama, to be judge jury and executioner just doesn't seem to ring true to a free country ruled by law. What difference is there to the drone program and Gitmo? Or the British in 1772 forcibly taking away colonialists without due process?

Then we will do it either by piloted airplanes or cruise missiles off of destroyers. Innocent people will die just as much.

 

[Freewill]

The thread title says:

UN: Obama’s Drone Program Violates International Law

but the content of the 'supporting' article says:



"A United Nations investigation has so far identified 33 drone strikes around the world that have resulted in civilian casualties and may have violated international humanitarian law....

and

“While the fact that civilians have been killed or injured does not necessarily point to a violation of international humanitarian law, it undoubtedly raises issues of accountability and transparency,” the study notes."

Why is it so hard for posters to be honest on this forum?

Most internet site that have blogs require the article title to be posted as it appears on the linked site. I agree that the title is hyperbole but that does not change the questions as to the legality. As for international law, what was the Nuremburg trials all about?

As for your last question I have ferreted out your mis-statements, to be kind, on several occasions. You know as well as I if I had changed the title you would have seen that and still made the claim of a lie. I didn't make up the title of the article but you made up the lie that by posting the true title I lied making you once again not telling the truth or just not very perceptive.

 

[Freewill]

He lives to kill.

If you guys don't understand this yet well let someone help you and it won't be Jehovah.

Obama is the king of nuking families signing off on so called terrorists.

He loves it. Libs love it. Just kill families on drone strikes. You fucking liberals just love it eh?

Some how I think there are those who believe if we become like the terrorists then we win.

 

[ScienceRocks]

The thread title says:

UN: Obama’s Drone Program Violates International Law

but the content of the 'supporting' article says:



"A United Nations investigation has so far identified 33 drone strikes around the world that have resulted in civilian casualties and may have violated international humanitarian law....

and

“While the fact that civilians have been killed or injured does not necessarily point to a violation of international humanitarian law, it undoubtedly raises issues of accountability and transparency,” the study notes."

Why is it so hard for posters to be honest on this forum?

Most internet site that have blogs require the article title to be posted as it appears on the linked site. I agree that the title is hyperbole but that does not change the questions as to the legality. As for international law, what was the Nuremburg trials all about?

As for your last question I have ferreted out your mis-statements, to be kind, on several occasions. You know as well as I if I had changed the title you would have seen that and still made the claim of a lie. I didn't make up the title of the article but you made up the lie that by posting the true title I lied making you once again not telling the truth or just not very perceptive.

What is the legality of airstrike period on another nation.

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

The Hague, Netherlands. Where the World Court is.

So what's the Punishment if the USA does NOT abide? We no longer have the right to police the rest of the world?

Awesomesauce!

(does happy dance)

POLICE the world, I am all for it. Use the rule of law to POLICE the world, go for it. But to allow the CIA and one man, whether Bush or Obama, to be judge jury and executioner just doesn't seem to ring true to a free country ruled by law. What difference is there to the drone program and Gitmo? Or the British in 1772 forcibly taking away colonialists without due process?

Sounds a lot like government interference AND big spending, to me.