Drones killing, Al Qaeda providing food

[k-robjoe]

Yemen :

"We're killing civilians while Al Qaeda is trying to turn on the electricity."

&feature=player_embedded

"On Democracy Now! investigative blogger Marcy Wheeler who has been covering the so-called “War on Terror” over at Empty Wheel discusses so key points about the US assassination program that the corporate media does not dare inform the public about.

(...)

For starters, Marcy explains how Al-Qaeda operatives in the area are struggling to provide humanitarian services to people in the Middle East’s poorest country while the US funnels $300 million plus into the region, most of which is used to conduct a covert war.

She goes on to explain how the so-called enemy is struggling to provide food and turn on electricity for people in the area while the United States is running around murdering civilians.

She is making some stunning revelations about America’s assassination program and the two methods used to decide how drone strikes will be carried out.”

http://my.firedoglake.com/wendydavis/2012/05/25/emptywheel-on-democracy-now-speaking-on-%E2%80%98the-assassination-czar%E2%80%99/

[geek tragedy]

1. "so-called enemy?"

Feel free to form the American Al Qaeda party.

[gratuitous]

2. Al-Qaeda was our bestest buddies when we needed them

Now? Not so much.

But the larger point, of course, is what's more likely to gain the allegiance of a people? Indiscriminately raining down death from above by remote control, or feeding them? Unfortunately, we seem to know how to do only one thing anymore. I don't know if it's a lack of imagination, a failure of nerve, political cowardice, distrust of our claimed ideals, a combination of all that and more, or just what.

[Zalatix]

19. Standard response: "But al Qaeda is evil!

I don't want to hear any facts! Al Qaeda is evil, dammit! I'm plugging my ears now, la la la la la la la la GOD BLESS AMERICA la la la la la la la la"

[demosincebirth]

21. They seem to have a very short memory

[k-robjoe]

3. It´s not all Al Qaeda

Like Marcy Wheeler says in the interview, it´s not all Al Qaeda.

There´s people opposing the government in Yemen.

And they get taken out as well. The Saudis are taking care of the "human intelligence". They are picking out who to bomb. And the Saudis have their own agenda.

[RC]

4. Yeah, so called enemy.

We can't kill "real" terrorists fast enough, so we kill innocent people in the real hope their friends and relatives will become terrorists themselves. You don't really think we are actually protecting America's Freedom from over there, do ya?

[The Northerner]

6. +1 I could not agree more

[frylock]

7. wonderfully hyperbolic right-wing commentary!

well played!

[sabrina 1]

15. Yes, I read it twice to make sure it said what I thought it said.

Reminded me of the days when Bush supporters called Democratics 'Saddam Lovers' because they opposed that tragic, phony war. Interesting way to try to deflect from the huge human tragedy of all those lost lives as a result of Bush policies, getting us into an impossible quagmire which it is now almost impossible to get out of.

Beautiful children, dead, innocent human beings. I remember Dahr Jamail's photos of the dead bodies of Iraqi babies, mothers and grandparents. He was the only one witnessing the carnage. When I would post them for Bush supporters, their responses were usually 'so you love Saddam'. Sad, sad, commentary on our supposed humanity.

[Zalatix]

20. Sadly, a lot of Democrats and supposed moderates play into this, too.

Defending anything that al Qaeda does is such heresy that many simply internalize the fear of giving them any sort of praise. In fact Godwin's law may be invoked at some point during such a discussion ("would you support the Nazis if they were killing Jews and feeding hungry Germans???&quot .

For right wingers it's this: al Qaeda = Satan himself. So if Satan is feeding the poor then it's our "godly*" duty to kill the poor to save their souls. Send in the drones.

* disclaimer: not Godly by any rational definition, but rather "godly" by that right wing psychosis they call reasoning.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. +1

[closeupready]

5. Disgusting point of comparison. I'd unrec if I could.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Again with NorquistDogLake? Will we never learn?

[grantcart]

10. and yet the Taliban doesn't release video of that but does release video of this

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2090165/Taliban-releases-horrific-video-executions-15-Pakistani-soldiers.html

[annabanana]

11. Ah .. Back to

"Winning Hearts and Minds", I see.

[k-robjoe]

12. Deploying Killer Drones in Yemen Will Make Us All Less Safe

"Deploying Killer Drones in Yemen Will Make Us All Less Safe"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cori-crider/yemen-drones_b_1545105.html

[k-robjoe]

14. Robert Grenier

"Drone strikes in Yemen: US expert warns of anti-western sentiment.

Former CIA counter-terrorism chief says US military strategy in the region is forcing Yemenis into violent extremism.

(...)

Robert Grenier, who was director of the intelligence agency's counter-terrorism unit from 2004 to 2006, said the US risked turning Yemen into the "Arabian equivalent of Waziristan", a reference to the strife-torn Pakistani region.

His comments came after the resignation of the US ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, who is said to have clashed with the CIA over its drone programme."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/11/drone-strikes-yemen-expert-warns

[k-robjoe]

13. A bit on the side

A bit on the side.

"POLICE STATE 2012 : Weapons On Police Drones Coming Soon"

#!

[sabrina 1]

16. Did anyone think that once they got away with killing people in foreign countries, it would not

happen here? History shows that nothing changes. We never learn. We are so desensitized to killing now after ten years of the slaughter, and with no coverage of the human toll it has taken on so many innocent people, that even on the left, the only hope of ending all of it, there is little resistance anymore.

The Bush gang knew they never had to worry about the Left, that once they started the ball rolling, it would not stop and the 'left' would eventually become immune to the killing. They were maybe, smarter than we thought. But I am determined not to lose the sense of outrage I felt when I saw the first photos of the carnage rained down on Iraq.

One of the 'lucky ones' at least he didn't die, that we know of:



Iraqi baby, victim of US bombs

[Broderick]

17. And the heartbreaking beat goes on, beat goes on, beat goes on, and on, and on, on

[Odin2005]

18. I'm not suprised, sadly.