An armed unmanned aerial vehicle prepares for takeoff in Afghanistan early this year.
Pakistani lawyer and human rights champion Mirza Shahzad Akbar, who has aided the U.S. government in legal counterterrorism efforts, was banned from traveling to the States to speak at Columbia Law School after suing the CIA about drone strikes that have killed civilians in his country.
In an open letter, Akbar describes the plight of nonmilitant Pakistanis who have lost family and friends and suffered severe injuries in such attacks, and suggests the U.S. government—which purports to value justice and the rule of law—should honor those who have sought to redress their losses through legal rather than violent means. It is difficult to know exactly how many civilians have been killed by drones, but the Brookings Institution has put the number at more than 600, with 10 civilian deaths for every militant killed. —ARK
The Guardian:
I am a Pakistani lawyer who is suing the CIA for killing innocent civilians through drone strikes in my home country. This month, the US state department prevented me from travelling to the United States to participate in a conference hosted by the human rights programme at Columbia University law school in New York City.
I have been granted US visas before and no reason was given by the state department for refusal on this occasion: despite repeated enquiries, we were merely told there was a “problem” with my application. If seeking justice through the law – instead of violence – is the reason for banning my travel, then mine is another story of how government measures in the name of “national security” have gone too far.
Although I have previously held consultancies with USAID, and helped the FBI investigate a terrorism case involving a Pakistani diplomat, my relationship with the US government changed dramatically in 2010, when I decided to take on the case of Karim Khan. Karim Khan was away from home on New Year’s Eve 2009 when two missiles fired from what we believe was a CIA-operated drone struck his family home in North Waziristan and killed his son, aged 18, and his brother, aged 35. Informed over the phone of their deaths, he rushed back to find his home destroyed and his brother’s family – now a widow and two-year-old son – devastated.
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I hope that the Us government is able to provide an adequate answer to this lawyers enquiries. The attacks in Pakistan have come under heavy fire for not achieving many of their targets and bringing many civilians into the fight. Many innocent civilians have been caught in the crossfire between troops of both sides. War is never a fair game.
By Jim Yell, July 5, 2011 at 6:32 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
What we get as a country for the actions of our military is really nothing but death and dismemberment. The only ones who get anything positive from our actions are tin horn dictators and the corporations that get cheap (for them) contracts with the bleeding nations, the bleeding poor.
They are helped with this by the CIA an organization that does things that even the Mafia would be embarressed to do. With in the CIA is the shadow government that fabeled depository of crime. What better way to justify the hidden money used to finance the CIA than for them to create the demons they fight?
Do elections matter any longer? Does this nation now really have ANY governing principles even remotely connected to the idealism spewed by our “Founding Fathers”? Have we become the willing and gullible victims of a monsterous hoax perpetrated by a cabal of greedy parasites with no regard for the common good?
Just remember the pretext of our sponsored invasion of Libya. I think you will remember the “justification” of military action against Qaddafi was to “protect” civilian lives.
The hypocrisy of the United States Government in the Libya injustice smells from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from Canada to Mexico.
As we kill civilians around the World without remorse and champion the Israeli killing of civilians, what does it say of us, the citizens of the United States that we allow our Government to commit these atrocities?
Obama should be impeached without hesitation. He is in direct violation of our Constitution and the War Powers Act. And he has been for a about a month. He knows it, Congress knows it, I know it, and I suspect you know it, the only question is why do we not put a stop to it?
Impeach Obama. Now.
Remember that the use of armed Predators has been approved for use over the skies of America. Did you know that? Do we trust our Government?
Every time we let a President get away with treason such as this we encourage more of the same behavior.
Should we recall our elected leaders that don’t take action to stop this malfeasance?
Does Anything Change in Los Angeles With Election of New Mayor?
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By Injury Law Personal Seattle, November 28, 2011 at 2:46 am Link to this comment
I hope that the Us government is able to provide an adequate answer to this lawyers enquiries. The attacks in Pakistan have come under heavy fire for not achieving many of their targets and bringing many civilians into the fight. Many innocent civilians have been caught in the crossfire between troops of both sides. War is never a fair game.
Report thisBy Jim Yell, July 5, 2011 at 6:32 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
What we get as a country for the actions of our military is really nothing but death and dismemberment. The only ones who get anything positive from our actions are tin horn dictators and the corporations that get cheap (for them) contracts with the bleeding nations, the bleeding poor.
They are helped with this by the CIA an organization that does things that even the Mafia would be embarressed to do. With in the CIA is the shadow government that fabeled depository of crime. What better way to justify the hidden money used to finance the CIA than for them to create the demons they fight?
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, July 4, 2011 at 3:40 pm Link to this comment
Justice is truely blind to be stonewalled as it is being here.
Report thisBy berniem, July 4, 2011 at 12:32 pm Link to this comment
Do elections matter any longer? Does this nation now really have ANY governing principles even remotely connected to the idealism spewed by our “Founding Fathers”? Have we become the willing and gullible victims of a monsterous hoax perpetrated by a cabal of greedy parasites with no regard for the common good?
Report thisBy Billy Pilgrim, July 4, 2011 at 6:10 am Link to this comment
Wave that flag and set off the fireworks. Do not ponder
Report thisthe absurdity of your actions because it might set off
a few disturbing thoughts.
By Cliff Carson, July 3, 2011 at 8:26 pm Link to this comment
Just remember the pretext of our sponsored invasion of Libya. I think you will remember the “justification” of military action against Qaddafi was to “protect” civilian lives.
The hypocrisy of the United States Government in the Libya injustice smells from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from Canada to Mexico.
As we kill civilians around the World without remorse and champion the Israeli killing of civilians, what does it say of us, the citizens of the United States that we allow our Government to commit these atrocities?
Obama should be impeached without hesitation. He is in direct violation of our Constitution and the War Powers Act. And he has been for a about a month. He knows it, Congress knows it, I know it, and I suspect you know it, the only question is why do we not put a stop to it?
Impeach Obama. Now.
Remember that the use of armed Predators has been approved for use over the skies of America. Did you know that? Do we trust our Government?
Every time we let a President get away with treason such as this we encourage more of the same behavior.
Should we recall our elected leaders that don’t take action to stop this malfeasance?
Report thisBy gerard, July 3, 2011 at 5:21 pm Link to this comment
Land of the free, and home of the brave.
Report thisBy John Sullivan, July 3, 2011 at 2:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
July 4th is fast becoming a memorial service for a democracy that doesn’t exist.
Report thisBy Bones, July 3, 2011 at 10:58 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
They hate us for our freedom.
Report this