UN concerned that U.S. drone use breaks international law

As the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan intensify, the United Nations' international law investigator believes the U.S. military's use of drones may be a breach of international law.

With on-the-ground fighting in both Pakistan and Afghanistan entering a new intensity - as insurgency strikes demonstrate a sharp increase in deadliness - the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston believes the U.S. military's use of Predator drones may be breaking international human rights laws. While Pakistan is in the throes of a very active counterinsurgency from the Taliban - most recently seen in the 91 killed in a Peshawar car bomb - and while October marks the deadliest month of the entire Afghan war for American troops, many in the Pentagon see the Predator drone as a success. However, U.S. drone attacks have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, and these casualties have fueled bitter concern in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Alston's interests lie in the issue of whether or not these drone attacks equate to summary executions. "My concern is that drones/Predators are being operated in a framework which may well violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law," Alston said. The Obama administration has cited a significant increase in the success rate of Predator drone attacks, noting that increased intelligence cooperation on the ground has driven the better results. But successful or not, the question centers on the tactical hits the drones provide. "The onus is really on the United States government to reveal more about the ways in which it makes sure that arbitrary extrajudicial executions aren't in fact being carried out through the use of these weapons," Alston said.