Report: U.N. Official Seeks to Curb U.S. Drone Attacks

By: Daniel Carty
Topics: Pakistan ,; Al Qaeda

(Credit: CBS)

CIA drone attacks have been an increasingly common tool used by the United States to target potential terrorists in Pakistan, but they've also caused numerous civilian deaths. Now a top U.N. official is expected to urge the U.S. to take control over drone attacks out of the intelligence agency's hands and place it under military authority, according to a New York Times report.

Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, will push for that change in policy in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, scheduled to be released June 3.

The military, he said, has "quite abundant accountability" in having to answer to civilian deaths.

"Whereas if the C.I.A. is doing it, by definition they are not going to answer questions, not provide any information, and not do any follow-up that we know about," he told the Times.

The report isn't legally binding and stops short of calling the use of drone attacks a war crime, the Times notes.

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by rock0223 May 29, 2010 12:18 PM EDT: Is the U N doing anything about 'roadside' bombs?; Reply to this comment


by bradkt1 May 28, 2010 9:09 PM EDT: There comes a point when drones aren't cost effective. How much does each missle cost that the drone fires? A million dollars...

...to kill a 25 cent run of the mill terrorist/jihadist? That doesn't make any sense to me.

If we are talking about high value terrorists, fine...I have no problem with using missle-firing drones for that.

Using drones just to generally kill enemy combatants by firing million dollar missles at them is a waste.; Reply to this comment


by FauxNews May 28, 2010 2:56 PM EDT: Drones are the perfect technology to patrol and eliminate civilian targets anywhere in the World, including the US. The next war will proabably be fought with anthrax spraying drones.; Reply to this comment

by ricscore May 28, 2010 2:53 PM EDT

When are we going to throwing the UN out of this country? I think France would be a great place for the UN.

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by FauxNews May 28, 2010 2:58 PM EDT: I agree, I think it's time to "share" the UN to another country.


by miami_don May 29, 2010 1:09 AM EDT: by ricscore May 28, 2010 2:53 PM EDT
When are we going to throwing the UN out of this country? I think France would be a great place for the UN.
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I do not think France would want them either. You forget they have their own Arab problems.


by sunday42 May 28, 2010 2:00 PM EDT: The UN is a scam and a sham.; Reply to this comment

by robertstoughton May 28, 2010 1:43 PM EDT

When the U.N. can get the people who use I.E.D's. to blow up marketplaces to account for their methods, and take responsibilty for the "civilian" deaths caused by their actions, I'll be among the first to cast my vote in support of the U.N. and the politician who made that happen!!

Our country is not perfect, but seems to me that whenever we here of a "possible" drone attack a KEY terristist, or five, ends up dead!!
Not that I condon the use of death as a method to solve problems, but the present manner for the use of drones seems to be the lesser of all evils!!

More important is appears to be working---for our side!!

Reply to this comment


by miami_don May 29, 2010 1:22 AM EDT: well said.

by Empire-George- May 28, 2010 11:11 AM EDT

Drones are much more effective then waterboarding....judge-jury-executioner

Now that's an instant trial-by-fire.

of course the U.N. would be against us killing our enemies, because they are among them.

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by miami_don May 29, 2010 1:19 AM EDT: by Empire-George- May 28, 2010 11:11 AM EDT

...of course the U.N. would be against us killing our enemies, because they are among them.
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George are you not wearing your helmet again? It is a political body is for and against everyone at one time or another. Everytime I think it has outlived its usefullness they arrest war criminals and drag them off for trial in the World Court. However, I am still sitting on the fence and wonder if it wouldn't be better served headquarted in some third world country.

by ConstantineXIII May 28, 2010 10:04 AM EDT

And yet Obama wants us to rely on the UN more? This shows how stupid this Obama "New World Order" policy of relying on corrupt international organizations like the UN is. The UN just appointed Iran to a Women's Rights Council and Saudi Arabia and Cuba are on a Human Rights Council.

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by miami_don May 29, 2010 1:33 AM EDT: by ConstantineXIII May 28, 2010 10:04 AM EDT
And yet Obama wants us to rely on the UN more? This shows how stupid this Obama "New World Order"
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Obama "New World Order": A hint if you are going to make a statement about the U.N.'s appointment of Iran there might have been some creditability to your thinking. But, you couldn't help yourself; and I had to place you into the ignorant-moron category.


by Brokennews May 28, 2010 9:58 AM EDT: We'll stop using drones when our Iron Man suits are fully tested.
Until then "Drone Baby Drone"!!; Reply to this comment


by zootropolis May 28, 2010 9:57 AM EDT: let UN put their children in harms way and see how they react. I don't want any civilian casualties but if our children have to go put their lives in danger for someone else country. Let them use what ever they have to insure our children safety first.; Reply to this comment