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October 21, 2013

U.N. Officials Criticize U.S. Drone Wars in New Reports 
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Pakistan has confirmed to a United Nations official that at least 400
civilians have been killed by drone strikes in the past decade, plus an
additional 200 victims deemed "probable non-combatants." Ben Emmerson,
U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, said
Pakistani officials acknowledged the number is likely an underestimate.
Emmerson called on the United States to release data on civilians killed
by drones, saying the CIA's role in the drone wars in Yemen and Pakistan
has "created an almost insurmountable obstacle to transparency." His
report closely followed another one by Christof Heyns, the United
Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, who said the use
of drones undermines international security.

 

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