tooblue
04-24-2013, 07:33 AM
Yemeni Tells Senators About ‘Fear and Terror’ Caused by U.S. Drones
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/04/yemen-drones-muslimi/
Farea al-Muslimi, who was born in the mountain village of Wessab and educated at a California high school, described a drone strike in the village that took place a week ago. His voice occasionally catching, al-Muslimi told a Senate judiciary subcommittee today that the target of the strike, Hameed Meftah, was well known to villagers, and could have been captured.
A “psychological fear and terror” has now taken ahold of his old neighbors, al-Muslimi said. “The drone strikes are the face of America to many.”
al-Muslimi — who actually livetweeted the strike, although he was not there — said the drone strikes have taken on a terrifying character that other weapons may not share. “The drones have made more mistakes than AQAP has ever done,” he said, using the acronym for al-Qaida’s Yemeni affiliate. Parents in Yemen now tell their children to hurry off to bed by saying they’ll call in a drone strike if they don’t. As human-rights groups have documented, the buzzing overhead of a Predator or Reaper engine as the flying robot hovers has a chilling psychological effect.
Yes, this is a tricky and sensitive subject. But I think it is important to begin to recognize the legacy of President Obama's military policies and their potential rippling affect on the world.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/04/yemen-drones-muslimi/
Farea al-Muslimi, who was born in the mountain village of Wessab and educated at a California high school, described a drone strike in the village that took place a week ago. His voice occasionally catching, al-Muslimi told a Senate judiciary subcommittee today that the target of the strike, Hameed Meftah, was well known to villagers, and could have been captured.
A “psychological fear and terror” has now taken ahold of his old neighbors, al-Muslimi said. “The drone strikes are the face of America to many.”
al-Muslimi — who actually livetweeted the strike, although he was not there — said the drone strikes have taken on a terrifying character that other weapons may not share. “The drones have made more mistakes than AQAP has ever done,” he said, using the acronym for al-Qaida’s Yemeni affiliate. Parents in Yemen now tell their children to hurry off to bed by saying they’ll call in a drone strike if they don’t. As human-rights groups have documented, the buzzing overhead of a Predator or Reaper engine as the flying robot hovers has a chilling psychological effect.
Yes, this is a tricky and sensitive subject. But I think it is important to begin to recognize the legacy of President Obama's military policies and their potential rippling affect on the world.