photo: White House / Pete Souza
30:22
Obama's Wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Columbia, Iran, Waziristan... Who's Next?
Obama's Wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Columbia, Iran, Waziristan... Who's Next?
Daily News @ RevolutionNews.US — One in three killed by US drones in Pakistan is a civilian, report claims... One in three "militants" killed in US Predator Drone attacks in Pakistan's remote tribal areas is in fact a civilian, according to a report by an American think tank. The report, by the Washington-based New America Foundation, will fuel growing criticism of the use of unmanned drones in the fight against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, who use Pakistan as a base for attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan. Critics say their use not only takes innocent lives, but amounts to unlawful extra-judicial killing of militants. The report by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann found that 32 per cent of those killed in drone attacks since 2004 were civilians. Their report, The Year of the Drone, studied 114 drone raids in which more than 1200 people were killed. Of those, between 549 and 849 were reliably reported to be militant fighters, while the rest were civilians. "The true civilian fatality rate since 2004 according to our analysis is approximately 32 per cent," the foundation reported. Obama has hit lists of US citizens that he has authorized the CIA and US military to assassinate. Source www.telegraph.co.uk How can this be justified? What happened to innocent until proven guilty? The Washington Times reported June 24 that dozens of US citizen may be targets for assassination by the Obama administration. "There are, in my mind, dozens of US persons who are in different
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9:12
Obama - Hagel and Brennan - Pentagon and CIA
Obama - Hagel and Brennan - Pentagon and CIA
US President Barack Obama has named Chuck Hagel to be his next defence secretary and counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the CIA, but the nominations may not go smoothly. Former Nebraska Senator Hagel's fellow Republicans have accused him of being hostile to Israel and soft on Iran. Mr Brennan is also under scrutiny over harsh interrogation techniques used at the CIA.
4:32
Afghanistan War - Drone War (darkness TOY) - US killing around the world # Press TV Iran
Afghanistan War - Drone War (darkness TOY) - US killing around the world # Press TV Iran
- published: 24 Jul 2012
- views: 277
- author: meicobr
Can We Wage a Just Drone War? Daniel R. Brunstetter Drones have been an increasingly important fixture in foreign affairs, but not without controversy. Military and intelligence personnel, robotics experts, and some academic have argued they remove the risk to US personnel. Moreover, their ability to undertake limited, pinprick, covert strikes significantly reduces civilian casualties compared to other weapons platforms, as well as the costs and risks of waging a larger war to curtail the terrorist threat, thus leading to what the Obama administration sees as a more humane type of war. Among the critics, some legal experts challenge the legality of CIA-controlled drones to undertake targeted killings across sovereign borders, while journalists and human rights organizations have brought to light concerns about the efficacy of CIA-drones in avoiding civilian casualties and the impact purported civilian deaths have on fueling terrorist recruitment. Finally, other scholars, myself included, have begun to examine the extent to which the lack of transparent decision making processes related to the never-so-secret CIA-led drone operations might lead to unjust uses of force or undermine democracy. In response to this public debate, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, John Brennan, gave a speech in April 2012 officially recognizing, for the first time, the administration's use of drones to undertake targeted killings. Brennan defended them
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3:40
President Obama Watched Bin Laden Death Raid from War Room After 9 Holes
President Obama Watched Bin Laden Death Raid from War Room After 9 Holes
Daily News @ RevolutionNews.US — (WASHINGTON) Pictures have been released of US President Barack Obama watching live footage of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The al Qaeda leader was shot dead by US special forces who stormed his villa in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad in the early hours of Monday morning local time. Bin Laden's compound was close to a military garrison and was only around 40 miles from the capital, Islamabad. Photographs issued by the White House show the president and other members of his team looking tense as they watch live video of the mission as it happened. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is shown with a particularly anxious expression, with a hand clasped over her mouth. US chief counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan was also among those viewing the footage. He said "It was probably one of the most anxiety-filled periods of time. It was clearly very tense, a lot of people were holding their breath. Full Article: news.sky.com -- "Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people." —Thomas Jefferson Time For A New American Revolution? Daily News @ RevolutionNews.US Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Facebook: facebook.com Main Channel: youtube.com Backup: youtube.com Other: youtube.com
38:00
John Brennan: The Nexus of Torture and Drone Assassinations
John Brennan: The Nexus of Torture and Drone Assassinations
Today confirmation hearings began for John Brennan nominated by Obama for Director of the CIA. In the run up to the hearing, several articles have been leaked this week offering more details about the kill lists that Brennan created for the Obama Administration as well as details about torture and "extraordinary rendition" that Brennan defended. We look at how the administration, the courts and the Congress have viewed these activities. [MORE ARTICLES] Barack Obama's nominee for CIA director portrays himself as a moral force in a messy business John Brennan's bunker is a soundproofed, windowless suite in the White House basement where, as one senator put it, Barack Obama's counter-terrorism chief "decides each day who he's going to execute". Behind guarded doors, Brennan -- the "priestly figure" nominated by Obama to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency -- draws together the lists of suspected terrorists for assassination by drone in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. They are signed off by the president on what have become known darkly as "kill list Tuesdays". It's an unprecedented role for a US president devised by an official who wields greater influence on White House security policy than more senior officials. Brennan was at the forefront of moulding Obama the election candidate, who in 2008 denounced the CIA's hand in abductions and torture at secret foreign sites under the Bush administration, into Obama the president, who has overseen the rapid
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7:12
Obama's CIA Nominee- Bush-Era Torturer?
Obama's CIA Nominee- Bush-Era Torturer?
"Prior to President Obama's first inauguration in 2009, a controversy erupted over reports that he intended to appoint John Brennan as CIA director. That controversy, in which I participated, centered around the fact that Brennan, as a Bush-era CIA official, had expressly endorsed Bush's programs of torture (other than waterboarding) and rendition and also was a vocal advocate of immunizing lawbreaking telecoms for their role in the illegal Bush NSA eavesdropping program. As a result, Brennan withdrew his name from consideration, issuing a bitter letter blaming "strong criticism in some quarters prompted by [his] previous service with the" CIA."* Obama's CIA director nominee John Brennan isn't getting as much attention as Chuck Hagel, but he should. Why would Obama nominate someone with a history in Bush-Era torture and drone strikes on civilians? Cenk Uygur breaks down exactly why. *Read more from Glenn Greenwald/ Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk Support The Young Turks by Subscribing bit.ly Support The Young Turks by Shopping bit.ly Like Us on Facebook: www.fb.com Follow Us on Twitter: bit.ly Buy TYT Merch: theyoungturks.spreadshirt.com
