The US must disclose details of the legal and factual basis for the lethal use of drones in Pakistan, Amnesty International said on Tuesday after US President Barack Obama confirmed that drones are used to target suspected militants in the Tribal Areas. Amnesty International also called for the US to monitor civilian casualties inflicted by drone attacks in Pakistan. “The US authorities must give a detailed explanation of how these strikes are lawful and what is being done to monitor civilian casualties and ensure proper accountability,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director. “What are the rules of engagement? What proper legal justification exists for these attacks? While the President’s confirmation of the use of drones in Pakistan is a welcome first step towards transparency, these and other questions need to be answered.”
US Attorney General Eric Holder will reportedly reference US legal arguments in support of such killings by drone attacks in a speech on national security in the coming weeks. Past justifications offered by US officials have invoked legal theories based on a “global war” between the US and al Qaeda, a concept not recognised by international humanitarian or human rights law. “The US administration must use the occasion of Attorney General Holder’s speech to disclose the relevant legal and factual documentation necessary for a meaningful assessment of the lawfulness of the deliberate killings it is carrying out – simply trying to find another way to say ‘trust us, it’s legal’ will not be good enough,” said Sam Zarifi.
