The Rules - Engaging HVTs & OBL

[jmm99]

Presidential Politics, International Affairs and (a bit on) Pakistani Sovereignty (by Gregory McNeal, March 15, 2013), continues with a look at presidential and international politics as "potential accountability mechanisms".

The bottom lines, to me, are (1) that a majority of Americans support drone strikes and other forms of direct action against AQ and associated groups, regarding all of that as forms of legitimate warfare; and (2) that an overwhelming majority of the EU and UN elites (and their populations) are in total disagreement with the USG and the American people.

I don't believe that gap can be bridged; and further, that there is no point in the US trying to placate the EU and UN elites.

For example, at the same time as McNeal was posting at Lawfare, Ben Emmerson and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism were engaging drones as they have in past:

From AP, UN says US drones violate Pakistan's sovereignty (by SEBASTIAN ABBOT, March 15, 2013):

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The head of a U.N. team investigating casualties from U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan declared after a secret research trip to the country that the attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty.

Ben Emmerson, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, said the Pakistani government made clear to him that it does not consent to the strikes — a position that has been disputed by U.S. officials.
...
According to a U.N. statement that Emmerson emailed to The Associated Press on Friday, the Pakistani government told him it has confirmed at least 400 civilian deaths by U.S. drones on its territory. The statement was initially released on Thursday, following the investigator's three-day visit to Pakistan, which ended Wednesday. The visit was kept secret until Emmerson left.

And from BIJ, Pakistan government says ‘at least 400 civilians’ killed in drone strikes ( by Alice K Ross, March 15, 2013):

The Pakistani government estimates at least 400 civilians have been killed in drone strikes – a figure close to the Bureau’s own findings.

In evidence to Ben Emmerson QC, UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that CIA drones have killed at least 2,200 people in the country including at least 400 civilians. This is close to the Bureau’s low range estimate of 411.

The figures were disclosed to Emmerson as he made a three-day visit to the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which compiled the figures, said a further 200 of the total dead were likely to be civilians too. ...

And so the current phase of lawfare goes.

Regards

Mike