Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

The New York Times is running a series of long articles assessing President Obama’s record in office (from their perspective, of course). It’s not likely to appear in our local paper. Today’s article Secret ‘Kill List’ Proves a Test of Obama’s Principles and Will (New York Times, 5/29/2012) describes how Obama personally supervises the kill list for US counter-terrorism operations, including use of drone strikes. Referring to a list of names and photographs reviewed by Obama:

Several were Americans. Two were teenagers, including a girl who looked even younger than her 17 years.

The article can be read even though the New York Times has a paywall. Check it out at the link above.

The drone strikes are carried out by the CIA, which is a civilian, not a military organization. But the responsibility for targeting seems to lie squarely with Obama, according to the report:

His first term has seen private warnings from top officials about a “Whac-A-Mole” approach to counterterrorism; the invention of a new category of aerial attack following complaints of careless targeting; and presidential acquiescence in a formula for counting civilian deaths that some officials think is skewed to produce low numbers.

The administration’s failure to forge a clear detention policy has created the impression among some members of Congress of a take-no-prisoners policy. And Mr. Obama’s ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron P. Munter, has complained to colleagues that the C.I.A.’s strikes drive American policy there, saying “he didn’t realize his main job was to kill people,” a colleague said.

I was just listening to Democracy Now, which included a report that Afghan authorities say at least eight family members, including six children, have been killed in a NATO air strike in the eastern province of Pakistan.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 5/29/2012 06:39:00 AM