Obama on Drones: The Democrats Respond

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Democrats' response to President Obama's Thursday, May 23, at the National Defense University will be presented by President Obama. Below is an advance notice distributed to the press.]

Well, it would be hard to add anything to that impressive presentation.

However, it's important to note the most important development of all: war crimes are actually decreasing under the present Democratic administration.

As the chart below shows, war crimes committed by the Obama administration decreased steadily between 2010 and 201, and again between 2011 and 2012, and again between 2012 and 2013. (We hope.)

United States airstrikes in Pakistan
(Source: The New York Times: "Debate Aside,
Number of Drone Strikes Drops Sharply")

My advisers have run the numbers and they have indicated that, at the current rate of decrease, U.S. war crimes could reach zero by 2015, or 2016 latest.

Don't thank me. That's why I'm here for.


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What he wished he could have said: "And you know what's even sadder? Congress won't work with me! So if we learn one thing from the Guantanamo hunger strikers, it's that Congress should do a better job of working with me!"

(See Obama's speech on al Qaeda, drones, Guantanamo Bay: You heard it here first! )





The crime of Extrajudicial Execution is described on the website for Mike Haas' book, George W. Bush, War Criminal? The Bush Administration’s Liability for 269 War Crimes. Here, we will look at the specific legal basis for charging perpetrators as war criminals for Extrajudicial Executions, and list sources reporting relevant U.S. actions in Afghanistan.

(See VAU Afgh 101: Extrajudicial Executions )

A new U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)