UN ready to take on US over deadly drone attacks - The Firearms Forum

jack404 · 10-26-2012, 04:58 PM

but only because Obozo allowed em to have over watch control

The United Nations is to set up a dedicated investigations unit in Geneva to examine the legality of drone attacks in cases where civilians are killed.
The announcement was made by Ben Emmerson, QC, a UN special rapporteur, in a speech to Harvard Law School in which he condemned secret rendition and waterboarding as crimes under international law. His forthright comments, directed at both US presidential candidates, will be seen as an explicit challenge to the prevailing US ideology of the global war on terrorism.
Earlier this year, Mr Emmerson said that some US drone strikes in Pakistan - where those helping victims of earlier attacks or attending funerals were killed - might amount to war crimes.
In his Harvard speech, he revealed: ''If the relevant states are not willing to establish effective independent monitoring mechanisms, then it may in the last resort be necessary for the UN to act.
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''Together with my colleague Christof Heyns, [the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings], I will be launching an investigation unit within the special procedures of the [UN] Human Rights Council to inquire into individual drone attacks.''
The unit will also look at ''other forms of targeted killing conducted in counter-terrorism operations, in which it is alleged that civilian casualties have been inflicted, and to seek explanations from the states using this technology and the states on whose territory it is used. [It] will begin its work early next year and will be based in Geneva.''
Security officials who took part in waterboarding or secret rendition should also be made accountable for their actions, Mr Emmerson said.
''Let us be clear on this: secret detention is unlawful as a matter of international law.
''Waterboarding is always torture. Torture is an international crime of universal jurisdiction.
''The torturer, like the pirate before him, is regarded in international law as the enemy of all mankind.
''There is therefore a duty on states to investigate and to prosecute acts of torture.''
The US stance of conducting counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda or other groups anywhere in the world because it is deemed to be an international conflict was indefensible, he maintained. The [global] war paradigm was always based on the flimsiest of reasoning, and was not supported even by close allies of the US,'' Mr Emmerson said.
''The Obama administration initially retreated from this approach but over the past 18 months it has begun to rear its head once again, in briefings by administration officials seeking to provide a legal justification for the drone program of targeted killing in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.''
Mr Emmerson targeted both Mr Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney for criticism, saying that ''my mandate does not see eye to eye'' with the Obama administration on drones and criticising Mr Romney for arguing that waterboarding does not amount to torture.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/un-ready...#ixzz2ARsogYrS

GunnyGene · 10-26-2012, 05:05 PM

Emmerson is just another in the long list of kumbaya singers. The problem with drone strikes is incorrect target id. The proper coordinates are:

40°44'58.88"N 73°58'5.35"W

45silverback · 10-26-2012, 06:27 PM

We really need to throw them out of our building . We give it to them rent free and maintain it for them... Oh wait, they are democrats....

Thast explains a lot.

gvw3 · 10-26-2012, 08:23 PM

If they don't like it I guess they can just

I guess they can't do anything. To bad.

10-26-2012, 04:58 PM	#1
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	UN ready to take on US over deadly drone attacks but only because Obozo allowed em to have over watch control The United Nations is to set up a dedicated investigations unit in Geneva to examine the legality of drone attacks in cases where civilians are killed. The announcement was made by Ben Emmerson, QC, a UN special rapporteur, in a speech to Harvard Law School in which he condemned secret rendition and waterboarding as crimes under international law. His forthright comments, directed at both US presidential candidates, will be seen as an explicit challenge to the prevailing US ideology of the global war on terrorism. Earlier this year, Mr Emmerson said that some US drone strikes in Pakistan - where those helping victims of earlier attacks or attending funerals were killed - might amount to war crimes. In his Harvard speech, he revealed: ''If the relevant states are not willing to establish effective independent monitoring mechanisms, then it may in the last resort be necessary for the UN to act. Advertisement ''Together with my colleague Christof Heyns, [the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings], I will be launching an investigation unit within the special procedures of the [UN] Human Rights Council to inquire into individual drone attacks.'' The unit will also look at ''other forms of targeted killing conducted in counter-terrorism operations, in which it is alleged that civilian casualties have been inflicted, and to seek explanations from the states using this technology and the states on whose territory it is used. [It] will begin its work early next year and will be based in Geneva.'' Security officials who took part in waterboarding or secret rendition should also be made accountable for their actions, Mr Emmerson said. ''Let us be clear on this: secret detention is unlawful as a matter of international law. ''Waterboarding is always torture. Torture is an international crime of universal jurisdiction. ''The torturer, like the pirate before him, is regarded in international law as the enemy of all mankind. ''There is therefore a duty on states to investigate and to prosecute acts of torture.'' The US stance of conducting counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda or other groups anywhere in the world because it is deemed to be an international conflict was indefensible, he maintained. The [global] war paradigm was always based on the flimsiest of reasoning, and was not supported even by close allies of the US,'' Mr Emmerson said. ''The Obama administration initially retreated from this approach but over the past 18 months it has begun to rear its head once again, in briefings by administration officials seeking to provide a legal justification for the drone program of targeted killing in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.'' Mr Emmerson targeted both Mr Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney for criticism, saying that ''my mandate does not see eye to eye'' with the Obama administration on drones and criticising Mr Romney for arguing that waterboarding does not amount to torture. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/un-ready...#ixzz2ARsogYrS -->

10-26-2012, 05:05 PM	#2
GunnyGene Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,962	Re: UN ready to take on US over deadly drone attacks Emmerson is just another in the long list of kumbaya singers. The problem with drone strikes is incorrect target id. The proper coordinates are: 40°44'58.88"N 73°58'5.35"W

10-26-2012, 06:27 PM	#3
45silverback V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 153	Re: UN ready to take on US over deadly drone attacks We really need to throw them out of our building . We give it to them rent free and maintain it for them... Oh wait, they are democrats.... Thast explains a lot. __________________ VR, Harry MSgt USAF (RET)

10-26-2012, 08:23 PM	#4
gvw3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Chicago IL Area Contributor Posts: 3,256	Re: UN ready to take on US over deadly drone attacks If they don't like it I guess they can just I guess they can't do anything. To bad. __________________ Criminals advocate stronger gun laws to foster a safer work environment. This limits their exposure to risk.