Eight people died when missiles hit a compound near Mir Ali, an al-Qaeda hub in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region. Seven more died when hours later two missiles hit a house in Wana, in South Waziristan. Local officials said the target in Wana was a guest house owned by a pro-Taleban tribesman. One said that as well as three children, the tribesman’s relatives were killed in the blast.
via President Obama ‘orders Pakistan drone attacks’ – Times Online.
COMMENT: This same crime would have been committed by the person I voted for–which is why I felt so bloody guilty voting for McCain. But McCain would have not started funding abortions overseas. So the bottom line was that I thought McCain would be less of a monster than Obama. So far it looks like my guess was accurate.
That being said, I have to admit, even though I tried to prevent it, I find this situation more personally endurable. At least now the guy ordering murder by robot isn’t the same one claiming to care about “pro-life” issues. No, Obama is honest that it is all above his paygrade, whether newborns or Pakistani post-borns have a right to not be killed.
So what’s the “just” standard for ordering an attack? This wasn’t an example of that, but terrorists frequently use human shields, whether by sending children out to scout for helicopters, or placing their bases in heavily populated areas. I don’t see anything wrong with hitting them where they are and view it as their fault for endangering civilians by choosing to operate their warfare in those places. You’ll notice our soldiers don’t take their wives and children to their camps.