Cornel West: 'Obama is a War Criminal' for Drone Strikes

[davidthegnome]

38. That sort of thinking

is extremely likely to assist with creating the terrorists of tomorrow. "We're sorry we're killing innocent people with our drone strikes. Stop supporting terrorism and we'll knock it off, k?" Sorry, it doesn't work that way. The innocents killed by drone strikes are, well... innocents. They weren't supporting terror to begin with - but their sons, their daughters, their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and friends might decide to start.

A surgical strike, to me, implies killing an enemy, only the enemy and nothing but the enemy. What we're doing with our drones is inspiring fear and terror in whole villages of people, as they (our drones) buzz overhead for days or weeks. When the killing strike finally comes, it may very well eliminate a potential, or very real threat, but it may very well also eliminate the Doctor next door, the village herbalist, or small children playing in the mud.

There needs to be a human element at play here. We should be held accountable for our actions during times of war. The question is... who is going to hold us accountable? The American public can't make up it's mind about this issue to begin with. The UN? HA. HAHA.

I wouldn't go so far as to call the President a war criminal - the unique situation we're faced with in this war on terror requires new methods. I will say though, that these methods require refinement with an immediate urgency that has so far been neglected. Every innocent we kill and name casualty is creating one or more terrorist sympathizer or terrorist of tomorrow. Eventually, it would then be amazing if everyone in these regions did NOT become terrorist or terrorist sympathizers.