The Pakistani Spectator

Britain’s top judge has expressed concern about the use of pilot-less drones as weapons of war. His comments come at a time when there is a growing international concern about the danger these pose to the civilians.

Drones have become an important weapon against the Taliban in the remote mountainous borderlands of Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports The Independent. “Last month the US admitted to 26 civilian deaths in a series of drone attacks in May. Afghan officials put the death toll at 140, significantly higher than the US claims.

“Lord Bingham compared drones, which have killed hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Gaza, with cluster bombs and landmines. Last week Israel was accused of using missile-firing drones to unlawfully kill at least 29 Palestinian civilians during the Gaza Strip war.

“Despite having advanced surveillance equipment, drone operators failed to exercise proper caution ‘as required by the laws of war’ in verifying their targets were combatants, said Human Rights Watch, the New York-based monitoring group.

“International lawyers also argue that air strikes using drones are state-sanctioned assassinations where the targeted suspected terrorist has no opportunity to defend the case against him.

“Last month US drone aircraft killed at least 45 Pakistani Taliban militants in south Waziristan when it fired missiles at the funeral of an insurgent commander who was killed earlier that day.

“Two years ago a Predator fired a missile into a wedding party in Afghanistan, killing at least 30 civilians, including children. But they have proved successful in the war against al-Qai’da and the Taliban, who have both lost high-ranking leaders to the unmanned aircraft.”