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April 12, 2013

Secret Documents Confirm U.S. Drone Policy Contradicts Public Claims 
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The White House is refusing to answer questions about secret U.S.
records that confirm drone strikes carried out in Pakistan over a
four-year period ran contrary to standards set forth publicly by
President Obama. Classified U.S. documents reviewed by Mc Clatchy show
the Obama administration targeted and killed hundreds of supposed
lower-level Afghan, Pakistani and unidentified "other" militants, even
though they have claimed publicly to only target senior al-Qaeda leaders
and associates planning to attack the United States. Records confirm
drone operators were not always sure who they were killing. In one
12-month period, more than half of the estimated 482 people killed by
drones were merely "assessed" as extremists, while media reports said
only six top al-Qaeda leaders were killed during that time. Former
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, meanwhile, has confirmed publicly
for the first time Pakistan secretly collaborated with the United States
to carry out drone strikes. Musharraf made the comments to CNN, saying
it happened "only on a very few occasions."

 

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