168 children killed in drone strikes in Pakistan since start of campaign

[chill_wind]

168 children killed in drone strikes in Pakistan since start of campaign
By Rob Crilly, Islamabad

5:37PM BST 11 Aug 2011

In an extensive analysis of open-source documents, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that 2,292 people had been killed by US missiles, including as many as 775 civilians.

The strikes, which began under President George W Bush but have since accelerated during the presidency of Barack Obama, are hated in Pakistan, where families live in fear of the bright specks that appear to hover in the sky overhead.

In just a single attack on a madrassah in 2006 up to 69 children lost their lives.

Chris Woods, who led the research, said the detailed database of deaths would send shockwaves through Pakistan, where political and military leaders repeatedly denounce the strikes in public, while privately allowing the US to continue

more:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8695679/168-children-killed-in-drone-strikes-in-Pakistan-since-start-of-campaign.html

[gratuitous]

1. Well, it's a good thing then

That the military doesn't do body counts, or even pay particular attention to where its missiles land. Because otherwise, this would really fuck up a lot of people's minds, thinking about how their actions are directly responsible for the annihilation of so many. Better to not look too closely, and just repeat the mantra about how they're all heroes fighting for freedom.

[chill_wind]

3. 168 CHILDREN.

Not a comfortable topic, judging by the instant unrecs.

[Luminous Animal]

2. A similar post yesterday got a handful of responses. Few care anymore that

we blow up innocents from limb to limb.

[chill_wind]

4. How did this happen

that we would have rightfully decried this unto the skies under Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and now we mustn't??

[FiveGoodMen]

6. The whole purpose of Obama's stay in the Oval Office

is to get Dems to accept puke policy.

And it's working.

[xchrom]

12. It suits 'moderates' to oppose war when a repuke is in office.

Not when a dem is in office.

[FiveGoodMen]

14. Which makes them the worst kind of hypocrites

[xchrom]

16. I wouldn't say you're wrong. Nt

[eilen]

7. We will get a bigger reaction if we post how many

puppies were blown up by drones.

[bullwinkle428]

15. If you want truly loathsome, just wait for posts along the lines of

"those kids hated freedom" - I've actually seen something similar to this right here at DU. :mad:

K&R.

[demosincebirth]

5. Human life is precious, but if we condenm one side, we have to condemn the other.

[gratuitous]

8. Theoretically, we're only bankrolling one side

And I'm unaware of any organized effort (similar to the American wehrmacht) by Pakistan to kill American civilians. Our society seems stunningly blasé about sending armed men and women halfway around the globe to shoot people who haven't done us any harm. It's as if we don't think anything bad could come of it.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. "It's as if we don't think anything bad could come of it"

And the first bad thing that comes of it is that people halfway around the world who haven't done us any harm get shot for no good reason.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Is this another glorious achievement to add to The List? K&R

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy.” - Mohandas K. Gandhi

[mzmolly]

11. Horrible.

I'm so sick of war. :(

[chill_wind]

17. I'm with you mzmolly.

:hi:

The Cost of War. What we could be doing for ourselves and other parts of the world instead.
The trade-offs are always staggering to me when I look at them.

:-(

[socialindependocrat]

19. Take the cost and feed the poor

In fact if we stopped fighting all the countries would be able to throw money at all the problems we have and still have some left over.

That's what we need - we need the United Nations to talk about stopping all the wars and jihaad and invasions....

Then.... what do we do with all the genocide and dictators and.... Oh well, it sounded good for a minute there.

[chill_wind]

22. Afghanistan FY2011....

Taxpayers in The United States will pay $122.0 billion for Afghanistan war spending for FY2011. For the same amount of money, the following could be provided:

62.5 million Children Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR
1.9 million Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
2.1 million Firefighters for One Year OR
16.0 million Head Start Slots for Children for One Year OR
27.6 million Households with Renewable Electricity - Solar Photovoltaic for One Year OR
73.7 million Households with Renewable Electricity-Wind Power for One Year OR
15.6 million Military Veterans Receiving VA Medical Care for One Year OR
25.1 million People Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR
1.8 million Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officers for One Year OR
15.5 million Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
22.0 million Students receiving Pell Grants of $5550


http://costofwar.com/en/tradeoffs/state/US/program/13/tradeoff/0

[malaise]

13. Just lil brown Muslim folks

Moving along :sarcasm:

[socialindependocrat]

18. Think of the propaganda

The military checks out the validity of reported insurgents.

If they find there are civilians then they find a better way to deal with the group.

If the people are giving insurgents shelter and food then they are guilty, too

If the people don't want to get caught in the middle then don't fraternize with insurgents

If you support insurgents and you have children then you don't give a crap about your children.

If you find out about insurgents in your neighborhood, move in with a friend

If your house is off by itself and there are insurgents there - I'd move fast and get out.

How many houses are bombed by our military where they "claim" there were children who died just
to create some sort of public outcry?

Simple rules

Play with insurgents and you may get burned.

Don't believe everything you read. these people lie, lie, lie!!!!

On the flip side. If these people harbor insurgents they deserve what they get - from the insurgents.

Let's just bring the troops home!!!

[NNN0LHI]

20. Recommended with a heavy heart

[raouldukelives]

21. I feel safer. nt

[xiamiam]

23. pathetic..nt

[polly7]

24. I've asked this over and over and never once gotten a reply .....

How long should we expect the rest of the world to watch this and not step in? How many countries should the rest of the world allow to be bombed, all these children killed? I'm actually quite surprised it's gone on unopposed as long as it has.

[Bonobo]

25. How many before we are terrorists that deserve no trial, only a bullet in the head?

Bin Laden deserved no trial --just a bullet in the head--because of 9/11, right?

Well how many until our leader deserves the same according to this logic?

[amborin]

26. kr probably helps their recruiting...