Connecticut, Terror and Tears

Connecticut, Terror and Tears 

I saw Obama shed a tear as he addressed the nation on the recent tragedy in Connecticut; the nation was in tears and mourning. Expectedly there were many sympathisers and one could only feel empathy towards those families as the details unfolded across the news. One of them read “26 people had been killed 20 of them children.” 20 children killed! The number 20 kept resonating in my head and the impact on the lives of their respective families, the community, the nation and humanity as a whole.

As the many comments of sympathy flowed in from many parts of the globe I was at a gathering where the matter was being discussed, then someone asked a rhetorical question: Are the lives of those US citizens more precious than the victims of US Drones in Pakistan? Silence! You could hear a pin drop, then vituperative missiles began to flow ‘how insensitive can one be’ ‘are you insane’, ‘they are children for crying out loud! Amongst other comments. Undeterred by the coterie of excoriation, he asked his question again apologising in advance this time. My initial thoughts were if this geezer's intention was to get our attention he has certainly achieved that.

The person speaking was English and the rest of us were from different nationalities, races, including those of various faiths and the faithless. It was a healthy intellectual discussion with arguments for and against. Some enlightening information unbeknownst to many of those present at the function were revealed.

The revelations during the fête champêtre made me delve deeper into the drone attacks on civilian population, as I sort to understand the grouse some people had with the U.S and the especial condemnation of the Obama administration on its drone usage policy.

According to the BBC website, an article titled ‘Drones in Pakistan traumatise civilians US report says’ states:

“The report also details hundreds of civilian casualties and the effects of drone strikes on the local population. It cites data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimating that between 474 and 881 civilians have been killed in strikes between 2004 and 2012.

"In the United States, the dominant narrative about the use of drones in Pakistan is of a surgically precise and effective tool that makes the US safer by enabling 'targeted killings' of terrorists, with minimal downsides or collateral impacts. This narrative is false," according to the report, Living Under Drones.

"Publicly available evidence that the strikes have made the US safer overall is ambiguous at best," it says, adding that targeted killings and drone attacks undermine respect for international law.”


The report being referred to was conducted by two US Academic institutions that have weighed in on the campaign against drones. Researchers from the Stanford University and New York University: The Stanford International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic (Stanford Clinic) and the Global Justice Clinic (GJC) at NYU School of Law, have been very critical of the drone campaign due to its destructive tendencies and the wanton loss of civilian lives, including children.

I also discovered through the extensive groundwork of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, that between 391 – 780 civilians have been killed from a total of between 1,658 and 2,597, which included 160 children. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism further stated that since Obama took office a minimum of 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes purportedly aimed at helping victims and at least 20 civilians were also killed during deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners of these victims. These abrasive tactics have been thoroughly condemned by legal experts and the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Commission).

“On June 7, 2012, after a four-day visit to Pakistan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for a new investigation into US drone strikes in Pakistan, repeatedly referring to the attacks as "indiscriminate ," and said that the attacks constitute human rights violations”


US Drone Strike statistic based on research by a team of journalists of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism:(As of October 24, 2012)

Total strikes: 350

Total reported killed: 2,586 – 3,375

Civilians reported killed: 472 – 885

Children reported killed: 176

Total reported injured: 1,252 – 1,401

Strikes under the Bush Administration:  52

Strikes under the Obama Administration:  298

More details of the drone attacks on innocent civilians available from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism website below:

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/

Pictures of some of the children killed by drones, poignant reality is they have names and loved ones too, so aren't just a statistic.
http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2011/08/11/more-than-160-children-killed-in-us-strikes/

Some cases at the Human Rights Council against the US Government
http://reprieve.org.uk/media/downloads/2012_02_22_PUB_drones_UN_HRC_complaint.pdf 


We have cried many tears and are still mourning the sad loss of lives. Human blood is human blood regardless of race, nationality or religion; no one deserves to be killed wrongfully especially innocent children with their lives ahead of them.

May the souls of the Connecticut victims Rest In Peace, as you shed a tear for them, please remember to shed a tear for the throngs of innocent people killed needlessly across the globe, whatever the means: State sponsored terror or individually motivated terror.

-M.B.O 
2012©