Alice Ross

UN Report Identifies 30 Drone Strikes That Require ‘Public Explanation’

Emmerson analysed 37 strikes carried out by the US, UK and Israel in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza, to arrive at a ‘sample’ of strikes that he believes those nations have a legal duty to explain.

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
US Pakistan CIA Drones

A UN counter-terrorism expert has published the second report of his year-long investigation into drone strikes, highlighting 30 strikes where civilians are reported to have been killed. The report, by British lawyer Ben Emmerson QC, identifies 30 attacks between 2006 and 2013 that show sufficient indications of civilian deaths to demand a

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August 2013 US Covert Actions In Pakistan, Yemen And Somalia

In Yemen, August saw the highest number of confirmed drone strikes since March 2012 when the Sanaa government, drove al-Qaeda out of its provinces.

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
Supporters of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan rally to condemn U. S. drone attacks in Pakistani tribal areas on al-Qaida and Taliban hideouts, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct 28, 2011. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash)

One strike in Pakistan ends 34-day stretch without an attack. Yemen sees more strikes in a month than any time since March 2012. Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières pulls out of Somalia. Pakistan August 2013 actions Total CIA strikes in August: 1 Total killed in strikes in August: 3-4, of whom 0 were reportedly

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Is Congressional Oversight Tough Enough On Drones?

The House and Senate intelligence committees withhold details of CIA drone from all other members of Congress.

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross

This article comes from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.  In the Bureau’s latest investigation into the tactic of ‘double-tap’ strikes on rescuers, our field researcher’s findings appear to directly contradict an account of a strike attributed to staffers of the Congressional bodies charged with overseeing CIA drone strikes. The House and

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GCHQ Intel Sharing For Drone Strikes May Be ‘Accessory To Murder’

UK intelligence officers may be assisting in murder or war crimes by sharing information with the CIA that leads to deaths in Pakistan drone strikes, a London court heard this week. Pakistani tribesman Noor Khan, whose father was killed by a drone strike last year, has launched an application for a judicial review examining the […]

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
This photo shows a young child allegedly killed by U.S. drone missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal region. (Photo by Noor Behram)

UK intelligence officers may be assisting in murder or war crimes by sharing information with the CIA that leads to deaths in Pakistan drone strikes, a London court heard this week. Pakistani tribesman Noor Khan, whose father was killed by a drone strike last year, has launched an application for a judicial review examining the UK’s alleged

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UK Parliament Launches Froup To Focus On Drones

Members of parliament Tom Watson and Zac Goldsmith are to lead a new parliamentary group set up to scrutinise the rapid spread of drones both on the battlefield and in civilian life. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drones launched yesterday, with Labour MP Watson appointed as president and Conservative Zac Goldsmith as a vice president. […]

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
An armed US military Reaper drone over Afghanistan. (US Air Force/ Lt Col Lesley Pratt/ Flickr)

Members of parliament Tom Watson and Zac Goldsmith are to lead a new parliamentary group set up to scrutinise the rapid spread of drones both on the battlefield and in civilian life. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drones launched yesterday, with Labour MP Watson appointed as president and Conservative Zac Goldsmith as a vice

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Counting The Bodies In The Pakistani Drone Campaign

The US government must release its estimates of how many people are being killed in CIA drone strikes, to end an over-reliance on often scanty media reports, a new study on drone casualties says. The absence of ‘hard facts and information that should be provided by the US government’ means that the public debate is […]

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
Pakistanis rally against United States and condemned drone attacks on militants in Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan. (AP Photo/K.M.Chaudary)

The US government must release its estimates of how many people are being killed in CIA drone strikes, to end an over-reliance on often scanty media reports, a new study on drone casualties says. The absence of ‘hard facts and information that should be provided by the US government’ means that the public debate is dependent on estimates of

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Obama Risks Handing ‘Loaded Gun’ Drone Program To Romney

President Obama’s personal involvement in selecting the targets of covert drone strikes means he risks effectively handing a ‘loaded gun’ to Mitt Romney come November, says the co-author of a new report aimed at US policymakers. ‘If Obama leaves, he’s leaving a loaded gun: he’s set up a programme where the greatest constraint is his […]

Alice Ross
By Alice Ross
President Barack Obama gestures during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va., Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

President Obama’s personal involvement in selecting the targets of covert drone strikes means he risks effectively handing a ‘loaded gun’ to Mitt Romney come November, says the co-author of a new report aimed at US policymakers. ‘If Obama leaves, he’s leaving a loaded gun: he’s set up a programme where the greatest constraint is his personal

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