A new report from the Stanford and NYU schools of law has found that the US drone war in Pakistan is “counterproductive” and “terrorizes” the civilian population. Read the report here. See this video below accompanying the release of the report.
Update: The Independent has posted testimonies from Pakistani locals suffering from the drone war:
“The villagers brought us the news.”
Khairullah Jan, whose brother was killed in a drone attack.
“I was … going to my house. That’s when I heard a drone strike and I felt something in my heart. I thought something had happened, but we didn’t get to know until the next day. That’s when all the villagers came and brought us news that [my brother] had been [killed]… I was drinking tea when I found out. [My] entire family was there.”
“My father’s body was scattered in pieces.”
Waleed Shiraz, who was studying for a BA before he was injured by a strike.
“My father was asleep … and I was studying near by … [When we got hit], [my] father’s body was scattered in pieces and he died immediately, but I was unconscious for three to four days … [Since then], I am disabled. My legs have become so weak and skinny that I am not able to walk.”
“Children, women, they are all affected.”
Firoz Ali Khan, a shopkeeper in the town of Miranshah.
“I have been seeing drones since the first one appeared about four to five years ago … [We see drones] hovering [24 hours a day but] we don’t know when they will strike … People are afraid of dying … Children, women, they are all psychologically affected. They look at the sky to see if there are drones… [They] make such a noise that everyone is scared.”