but closer to home too.” This is a polite way right to due process and a public trial have been of saying that people in the Middle East know rescinded, with targets of strikes needing only to who made the bombs that are dropped on them, be suspected as a “continuing imminent” threat and they often look for revenge. This is not only to the United States to be considered legitimate, the opinion of human rights advocacy groups according to a May 2013 White House fact-sheet but also of the U.S. government. On October describing the legal basis of the drone program. 1, 2015, after Vladimir Putin ordered Russian The actual legal basis that the Obama Adminfighters to bomb the resistance to Bashar alistration relies on is secret (another oddity for a Assad’s government at Assad’s request, the Unit- free society). Those who are to be killed someed States and its allies, including, spectacularly, times have their names added to a secret kill list, Saudi Arabia, issued a joint statement arguing which is presented to Obama. He, not a jury of that Russian bombing in Syria would “only fuel peers, has the final say. more radicalization and extremism.” What about The question of how an “imminent threat” our bombs and the ones we sell can “continue” for long is to the Saudis to drop on Yeanswered in a Justice DepartThe Obama Adminmen? istration has pursued ment white paper leaked in 2013, We have enough information which states that “imminent the most extensive to know whether the conditions threat” does not mean that the campaign of interof respect for human rights that U.S. has to have any specific national terrorism in knowledge of a plot to commit some critics want to place on history. the Cuban regime for normalterrorism against it by the indiization of relations is based on vidual targeted. Often, however, real valuation of these principles, though many the target of the strike is not even known in more such examples can be given. It clearly is advance before an area of suspicious activity not. Even though the United States “protests” is targeted. As the New York Times reported in Saudi human rights abuses officially through April 2015, “Every independent investigation of diplomatic channels, it continues to sell billions the strikes has found far more civilian casualties of dollars of arms to the country, arms which than administration officials admit. Gradually, it it is using to repress its own population and has become clear that when operators in Nevada massacre Yemeni civilians. That is not simply fire missiles into remote tribal territories on the normal relations with a murderous regime. That other side of the world, they often do not know is direct, material support for and complicity in who they are killing, but are making an imperits repression and atrocities. What about the sec- fect best guess.” This is known as a “signature ond test, of whether the United States lives up to strike.” Furthermore, these strikes have involved the standards that it imposes on others? Have we the firing of a second missile, intentionally fired taken the log out of our own eye, before taking to kill those who would come to help the victim the speck out of our brother’s? of the first strike. The Bureau of Investigative What is the Obama Administration’s record Journalism reported in 2012 that news agenon human rights? The Obama Administration cies had found more than 15 instances in which has pursued the most extensive campaign of drones had targeted rescuers. The targeting of international terrorism in history, the drone cam- emergency personnel violates international law. paign, a central tenet of which is the repudiation Even if by some horrific lawyering the Obama of basic principles of law and morality. Human Administration manages to argue that it does not rights like the presumption of innocence and the (by saying, for example that “combatants” not 10
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