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| India-Pakistan |
| US drone strikes in Pakistan killed 'four civilians in 2013' |
| 2014-01-22 |
| [DAWN] US CIA drone strikes against gunnies in Pakistain killed no more than four civilians last year, according to an annual study by a British-based organization, the lowest number of reported civilian deaths since the drone programme began in 2004. The study by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, released this month, showed that the number of civilian casualties stood at between zero and four. The figures were, however, drawn from the Bureau's own investigation and have not been independently verified. The findings may reinforce the position of those who support unmanned drones in a debate over the legality, effectiveness and accuracy of the strikes compared to more traditional military operations. The United States releases no information about individual strikes. Information issued by Pakistain's government is patchy. The Bureau tracked 27 suspected strikes, using news reports,field investigations and research by It said drones, used mainly in remote northwestern areas,killed altogether 112-193 people in 2013. The corpse counts varied as different sources often gave conflicting accounts. Increased scrutiny, political pressure and a sharp drop in the number of strikes may have helped cut civilian casualties,said Alice Ross, who heads the Bureau's drone research unit. "The lack of transparency surrounding the drone campaign means it's very hard to say what's causing the drop in civilian casualties," she told Rooters by telephone from London. "The fact they can now take out a single room in a building does suggest the technology and intelligence are quite advanced,but we haven't seen a commensurate fall in civilian casualties in Yemen." |
| Posted by:Fred |