US Officials Attack Leaked Report on Civilians Drone Deaths
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/07/26-0
Pakistan officially denied that 81 civilians including children died in this 2006 CIA drone strike but a leaked document says otherwise. (Photo: Getty Images).
US officials are claiming that an internal Pakistani assessment of civilian deaths from US drone strikes obtained and published in full by the Bureau is far from authoritative.
The secret document was obtained by the Bureau from three independent sources. It provides details of more than 70 CIA drone strikes between 2006 and 2009, and was compiled by civilian officials throughout Pakistans tribal areas.
They noted that at least 147 of 746 people listed as killed in CIA drone strikes between 2006 and 2009 were said to be civilians. That number could be as high as 220 civilian dead, the leaked report indicates.
Now unnamed US officials are questioning the contents of the leaked report. A written statement has been provided to news organisations including the Bureau.