John Kerry defends US use of assassination drones

US Secretary of State John Kerry

Monday, May 27, 2013

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US Secretary of State John Kerry has defended Washington’s use of assassination drones, which has already led to massive civilian casualties in different countries around the world.

During a trip to the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa on Sunday, Kerry said the drones were needed to hunt down “terrorists” and that each attack was carried out after “a great deal of vetting.”

He also said the drone program was one of the most "accountable" of programs.

According to Kerry, the unmanned aerial vehicles are used against “confirmed terrorist targets at the highest levels.”

Many independent reports, in particular those on drone strikes in Pakistan, show a high level of civilian deaths as a result of US assassination drone strikes.

Islamabad has repeatedly said the drone attacks are counterproductive, undermine the country’s sovereignty, and lead to civilian casualties.

During a speech at Washington’s National Defense University on May 23, US President Barack Obama defended his country’s use of terror drones as legal, effective, and just.

The United States has used assassination drones in several Muslim countries, including Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia. Washington claims that they target “terrorists,” but according to witnesses, the attacks have mostly led to massive civilian casualties.

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