Post AcbO2Q3nceex340hmK by kingbeauregard@c.im
(DIR) More posts by kingbeauregard@c.im
(DIR) Post #AcbO2Q3nceex340hmK by kingbeauregard@c.im
2023-12-08T13:09:08Z
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@ArneBab @serge I will tell you my recollection of things at the time, but since I can't back it up with facts, we should treat it as no more reliable than, say, a Loch Ness Monster sighting.As Obama's drone program went on, he got increasingly good at keeping civilians out of harm's way. There were intelligence failures early on that caused strikes against innocent targets (for example that wedding), but by the end of it, 90% of those killed were either Taliban leaders or Taliban underlings. This was not Obama's self-assessment, but the assessment of international reporters. So the breakdown was along the lines of: 10% were named Taliban leaders who were specifically targeted, 80% were Taliban but not in leadership positions, and the remaining 10% were civilians who were innocent and just happened to be caught within a Hellfire missile's wounding radius (20m).Note that Obama didn't start the drone program; it started under George W Bush, who was a LOT less concerned about civilian casualties. For example, one target of a Bush drone was a madrasa and about 60 children were killed.Even so, the Peshawar School Massacre of 2014 killed more children than the entirety of the US drone program starting with Bush. That was more children killed in one afternoon, deliberately, to send a message to the Pakistani government, than the US killed in eight years.Again, these are my recollections, and you should not simply trust what I'm saying. But it may give you a starting place to look for more information.
(DIR) Post #AcbO2RADWHO4TG1LQ8 by serge@babka.social
2023-12-08T14:15:01Z
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@kingbeauregard @ArneBab It's a completely different situation.The thing they IDF is doing is cutting down Hamas's military capabilities. They're still firing missiles into Israeli cities, namely and especially Tel Aviv.With 80% of Gaza having underground tunnels and munions stores, this is a lot of military targets. More than that, Hamas has used hospitals and schools to store munitions. We see that from drones, from intelligence, and from the after-effects of rockets, secondary and tertiary explosions.And when Israel does strike individuals with drones, etc. it's criticized for using "AI".Where I sit, this looks like any action by Israel is the problem.