For the first time, the United States has confirmed that it is undertaking drone strikes in Pakistan. Many may feel that this has long been an open secret as unnamed officials regularly take to the press about CIA drone strikes. However… Read More ›
CIA
Drones: PR, Proliferation and Prangs in the Pacific
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) have continued their excellent work exposing US drone strikes in Pakistan by publishing extensive new research. According to their research, more than 160 children are among at least 2,292 people reported killed in US… Read More ›
Transfer Speculation
I wrote most of this post last night before the announcement that US special forces entered Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden and members of his family. It is noteworthy that drones were not used to attack the compound where… Read More ›
Pakistan protests after deadly drone strike and release of CIA Agent
Twenty-four hours after the release of CIA man Raymond Davis, a US drone strike has killed more than 40 people, mostly civilians, in North Waziristan. Protests and a nationwide strike have been called for Friday. CIA ‘contractor’ Raymond Davis was released… Read More ›
Newsweek: Inside the Killing Machine
by Tara McKelvey Don’t normally repost other people’s articles here but this is an illuminating piece from Newsweek on how, as it says in the article “the formal process of determining who should be hunted down and “blown to bits” by… Read More ›
Justifying the unjustifiable: drones attacks foil “possible” terror plot
Many news outlets are covering the story that the recent mass drone strikes in Pakistan have foiled a ‘Mumbai-style’ terror attack on UK, France and Germany. The suggestion that mass drone strikes in Pakistan are justified because of intelligence of a possible terror attack in… Read More ›
Drones target Yemen
The CIA is to redeploy some Predator drones from Pakistan to the arabian peninsula so they can step up the ‘war against terror’ in Yemen and Somalia. The Wall Street Journal revealed this week that: “U.S. military’s Special Operation Forces… Read More ›
USAF/CIA argue over the ‘honour’ of drone wars as Iran unveils drone
Iran has unveiled a new long-range drone named Karrar which has a range of 1,000km and could carry two 250-pound bombs or a precision bomb of 500 pounds. According to the BBC, President Ahmadinejad said that the new drone was a… Read More ›
Drones and the Farnborough ‘airshow’
There has been much drone news over the past ten days, much of it generated by the Farnborough ‘airshow – in truth more of an arms/aerospace fair- so I thought I would do a quick round-up. General Atomics Avenger General Atomics,… Read More ›
BBC research into drone strikes in Pakistan
BBC Urdu has published new research into the undeclared war in Pakistan. They report that since January 2009 nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Pakistan as a result of US drones and Islamic militant attacks. They attribute 746 deaths… Read More ›
BBC research into drone strikes in Pakistan
BBC Urdu has published new research into the undeclared war in Pakistan. They report that since January 2009 nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Pakistan as a result of US drones and Islamic militant attacks. They attribute 746 deaths… Read More ›
Drone pilot shortage as CIA drone strikes resume
After a two week pause the CIA have resumed drone strikes in Pakistan. According to press reports between seven and fourteen people have been killed in a drone strike on a ‘compound’ near the town of Miranshah in the province… Read More ›
Drone boats and bombs
The Daily Mail has reported that British military special forces have trialled the Silver Marlin, an Israeli-built drone boat. The trials, watched by Special Boat Service and civil servants took place recently in the Middle East. According to the report, the Silver Marlin,… Read More ›
Radio 4 Today piece on Pakistan Drones Attacks
Zubedia Malik reports on drone attacks in Pakistan by the CIA and interviews Philip Alston