CIA Predator drones could aid Taliban, reporter says

By David Edwards
Friday, October 23rd, 2009 -- 2:31 pm

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drone US military CIA Predator drones could aid Taliban, reporter says The CIA's use of Predator drones to kill suspected terrorists in Pakistan, which has significantly increased under the Obama administration, is recognized for its success in taking out intended targets. There are concerns, however, the program could also be helping Taliban leaders with their propaganda, as noted by Jane Mayer's recent expose in the New Yorker.

In an appearance Thursday on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, Mayer explained that as amazing as the remote control technology behind the drones may be, "It is based always on human intelligence telling you which target to go after."

"They've gotten some tremendous success in killing al Qaeda leaders," Mayer noted, "but at the same time, since 2006, they've killed between 750 and 1000 people. The number of al Qaeda is a small fraction of all the people that they've killed. There's a lot of so-called collateral damage."

Because of this, Mayer suggests, "It's a program that people fear is going to have unintended consequences. ... It's going to become a propaganda tool for the Taliban and it's going to create retaliation against the United States and maybe against Pakistan's government, which we're trying to prop up."

According to New York Times reporter David Rohde, for example, "The drones killed many senior commanders and hindered their operations. Yet the Taliban were able to garner recruits in their aftermath by exaggerating the number of civilian casualties."

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There is also an "accountability" issue, according to Mayer, because the U.S. military is using the drones in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in Pakistan, where the US is not officially at war, the drones are operated by the CIA in a supposedly "secret program."

"So there's no chain of command," Mayer told Maddow. "... It's been described as an accountability void, basically, where people are dying but there's no kind of public acknowledgment. So what happens if there's a mistake? Who do you hold responsible?"

Mayer also said the program raises broader questions about what will happen if Russia or China starts using the same tactics -- and even whether the Americans who operate the drones by remote control from the United States could be considered battlefield combatants and targeted in retaliation. "It really is kind of a scary frontier," Mayer concluded.

This video is from MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Oct. 22, 2009.

Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...

luckyjean

Anybody who's ever had the DEA helicopters flying over their home could have told you how much it would piss off the populace.

lorn

Good point. But the bloody lying tyrant Bush3 does not care about the populace.

Too bad the Obama devotees are every bit as deluded and fiercely loyal to their man as Bush lovers were to theirs. One half of America is always asleep and getting played like suckers.

Until both sides wake up at the same time and see that we the people are one group, and they the Washington criminal scum bags (D's or R's) are another group......this country will stay mired in despair and confusion.
Corrupt media who continue to work hard to maintain the myth of the two party democracy have played a big role, and continue to do so. This place included.

abrahambenjudea

How drones target the place to hit? First they get a stool pidgeon with a grud. Then they give him some ultra small Infrared transmitters. The stool pidgeon then places said transmitter in the place to be hit. say like his father in law's house. I saw this in the web page 'wired'

alverant

So should we stop using these drones because they can be a recruiting tool? Wrong. The fact America isn't islamic is used as a recruiting tool and we're not going to change just to shut them up.

justinus

So we should accept that "collateral damage" equates to innocent civilians? We eventually become what we hate, especially if we act like them.

Satan

Are comments working?

Satan

Oh, I see, let the pro-war dude post his propaganda, but I can't leave a factual comment.

Satan

Taliban Propaganda, lol. Google it and the first thing that comes up is Why the 'Taliban Is Winning the Propaganda War - TIME'

"The same Taliban that once banned television now boasts a sophisticated public relations machine that is shaping perceptions in Afghanistan and abroad." - Yeah? Let's see some.

All I see is shit masquerading as news in the form of FOX, MSNBC, and 99% of every other U.S. News organization.

So a predator wastes a bunch of civilians, is the idea that any talk of it is "Taliban Propaganda", how stupid.

The time article makes mention of some Mullah and his pirate fm radio station. Sorry, but this is the propaganda, right here, American news, legitimizing war every day and doing everything they can to "continue the debate".

"They've gotten some tremendous success in killing al Qaeda leaders," - Killing hundreds or thousands of times as many civilians is what makes this story propaganda. Let's see the list of "al qaeda leaders" killed.

Great stuff that Maddow finally got around to mentioning Afghanistan and the dangers of Taliban Propaganda, it's hilarious. Doesn't she know she should be crying about some douche we already know is a douche? Rush?

Loved how befuddled Keith sounded last night without his teleprompter as well, lol!

Satan

I'm just going to start posting at another ip using a different name, are you really just going to let pro war people post?

Satan

Phonies...

abrahambenjudea

Hey Satan....I call them Onion skinned moderators. HP will no longer accept my comments under another name. Seems he banned me. Any way good to see you back in good form

david Evarts

They do not hate us for our freedoms- they hate us because of our air strikes.

Satan

Changing the title just makes you all the more the propagandist. Rationalize, debate, how about count the fucking bodies?

nader paul kucinich gravel

Remote control assassination murder.
Done In OUR names.

eldurado

Let's understand this: killing al Qaeda leaders," Mayer noted, "but at the same time, since 2006, they've killed between 750 and 1000 people. The number of al Qaeda is a small fraction of all the people that they've killed. There's a lot of so-called collateral damage." It's going to become a propaganda tool for the Taliban and it's going to create retaliation against the United States and maybe against Pakistan's government, which we're trying to prop up."

She's stupid! DOD! Taliban and al Qaeda are already at war with US and Pakistan. Propaganda tool? Associate with al Qaeda and you get you ass killed from drones baby! That's what it tells me. How many firefights has she been in? Expert in Propaganda - War strategy, I doubt that.

Russia and China can do whatever they want. US has no control what they do?

Americans who operate the drones by remote control from the United States could be considered battlefield combatants and targeted in retaliation. "It really is kind of a scary frontier," Mayer concluded. So, Taliban and al Qaeda are going to attach Central Command in Colorado. I don't think so! I think Rachel Maddow shouldn't have let Mayer go beyond her expertize, being a reporter. Mayer knows little about what she opinions.

ProudPrimate

.
Caligula (whose father Germanicus was Tiberius' adopted son and an excellent general and would have been a good emperor had he lived) was a sicko who incestuously humbled his three sisters, killed on a whim, sent legions on ridiculous military adventures, and promoted his horse to the rank of consul and priest, is famous for a saying, "Oderint dum metuant", i.e., "Let them hate us so long as they fear us".

Do you subscribe to that motto?
.

bobdevo

@eldurado. You're an idiot. #1. It's spelled El Dorado. #2, your comprehension of the Afghan problem is laughable. OfF the people killed by the drones, 3-4% are al-Qaeda. Gen. James Jones says the total number of al Qaeda now in Afghanistan is about 100. Total. What we are doing is murdering innocent civilians who just happen to live in Afghanistan. They will hate the US for 1,000 years' these people do not forget.

We need to get the fuck OUT of Afghanistan, the sooner the better.

PunchDrunkLove

Obama is a cruise missile liberal .

bexe

I don't know what gives the US the right to be in Afghanistan or Pakistan, just as it was illegal to bomb Iraq. The recent attacks in Waristan by the Pakistani Army is the smart way to go. Kudos to the Obama people for being able to convince the Paks. For the hundreds of billions they receive from us, they ought to do some of the killings themselves. We need to have smarts, not just muscle.
The biggest question I have is how come these bunch of rag-tag army called the Taliban can be so well-armed? It seems logical to any lay person that we need to cut off this supply chain and starve them of all supplies and armaments. While one is at that, cut off the heroin trade as well. That is currency to them.
Continue with the drones. Eventually the general populace will stop providing further sanctuary to them as a matter of self-preservation. Death (innocent) is a sad fact in any war. If we are concerned about that, stop this war NOW. Please don't argue that this is not war. I am for ending this war or any war for that matter. War should be criminal.

ProudPrimate

it's Waziristan, (unless you meant Waristan as a pun)



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