US Drone Strikes violate Pakistan's Sovereignty, UN Says

A loud uproar in Pakistan over US drone strikes has not only been overwhelmingly criticized all over the world including even the USA, but has also been finally heard by the UN and the head of a U.N. team investigating casualties from U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan declared after a secret research trip to the country that the attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty.

Ben Emmerson, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, said the Pakistani government made clear to him that it does not consent to the strikes – a position that has been disputed by U.S. officials.

"The position of the government of Pakistan is quite clear," said Emmerson. "It does not consent to the use of drones by the United States on its territory and it considers this to be a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It may be added that President Barack Obama has stepped up covert CIA drone strikes targeting al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border since he took office in 2009.

The strikes have caused growing controversy because of the secrecy surrounding them and claims that they have caused significant civilian casualties – allegations denied by the United States.

According to a U.N. statement that Emmerson emailed to The Associated Press on Friday, the Pakistani government told him it has confirmed at least 400 civilian deaths by U.S. drones on its territory. The statement was initially released on Thursday, following the investigator's three-day visit to Pakistan, which ended Wednesday. The visit was kept secret until Emmerson left.

Read more about it at: Huffington Post
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US drone attack - indubitable war crime, says US Analyst

The US drone attacks continuing in some of the countries as part of the war on terror unleashed by the US, specially in Pakistan where over 30,000 thousands have perished sine 2004, mostly women and children, has attracted world criticism on this inhuman act and question the wisdom behind killing a few militants with a colossal collateral damage.

US Drone Attacks: The indubitable war crime

Pakistan's emerging cricketer-turned-politician, the lone crusader against the drone attacks, has raised his voice against the drone attacks on many a fora around the world.

However, recently a political analyst in an interview  with Press TV has stated that the US assassination drone attacks amount to a “war crime” against civilians by a government that claims moral leadership of the world.

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Press TV has conducted an interview with Mike Harris, financial editor of Veterans Today (Arizona), to further discuss the issue of US drone attacks. Harris is joined by two additional guests of the program: Lawrence J. Korb, senior fellow of American Progress (Washington), and Toby Blome, CodePink peace activist (Washington).

Mike Harris asserts that:

"If we look at the drone issue here, the drone issue is nothing more than a war crime. And the whole premise of war in Iraq, in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, and in Yemen is a fraud. It is falsely based, these are illegal wars that US should not be involved in them. And we should get out and bring our troops home. End of discussion.”

Read the approximate transcription of the interview with Mike Harris at Press TV.

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Imran Khan pulled off flight at Pearson

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who has recently been very vocal about US drone attacks inside Pakistan which have killed thousands of innocent civilians specially women and children, was taken off from his flight to New York and taken in for questioning at Toronto Pearson International Airport Friday.

Khan, who was in Brampton Thursday night for a politically-charged speech about turmoil in his homeland, boarded an American Airlines plane from Toronto to New York to speak at another fundraising dinner in Long Island City the same day.

“I was taken off from plane and interrogated by U.S. Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop,” Khan tweeted at 3:35 p.m. Friday.

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The questioning reportedly lasted up to an hour before Khan was allowed to board a later 4 p.m. flight to New York.

Khan, who is the founder of Pakistan‘s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party took part earlier this month in a protest against U.S. drone strikes on his home turf.

Read more: Toronto Sun

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32 Americans join Imran's peace march to Waziristan

Thirty-two American protestors, majority of them are women, joined Imran Khan’s peace march against the drone attacks.

Campaigners from the anti-war group 'Code Pink', visited Pakistan to make contact with people affected by the drone strikes and draw the attention of the American public to the impact of attacks.

Code Pink is an anti-war group which describes itself as "a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities."

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Meanwhile, British foreign office has issued advice for its citizens living in Pakistan to not to travel in FATA, Peshawar, Charsadda, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan areas.

via The News

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Pakistanis and Western activists march against US drone strikes inside Pakistan

Dozens of US and British anti-war protesters are joining a two-day march in Pakistan against US drone strikes on the country. The unmanned attacks result in only 2 per cent of top militants’ deaths, but lead to large number of civilian casualties.

US Drone strike that kill less militants (and that too low profile) and kill more civilians, especially children and women

Organized by politician and former cricket superstar Imran Khan, the rally starts in Islamabad and is to end in the tribal region of South Waziristan.

A group of US and British anti-war activists have already marched through the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Friday in protest against US drone strikes in the northwest territory.

They chanted “Stop, stop drone attacks!" and sang "We are marching to Waziristan." One placard read "Drones fly, Children die."

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The Western activists, including the US-based peace and social justice movement CODEPINK and Clive Stafford Smith, founder of the London-based legal advocacy organization Reprieve, have also met with relatives of people said to have been killed in drone attacks.

Read more: RT

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