CIA operating drone base in Saudi Arabia, US media reveal
14 replies, posted
[QUOTE]The US Central Intelligence Agency has been operating a secret airbase for unmanned drones in Saudi Arabia for the past two years.
The facility was established to hunt for members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen.
A drone flown from there was used in September 2011 to kill Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born cleric who was alleged to be AQAP's external operations chief.
US media have known of its existence since then, but have not reported it.
Senior government officials had said they were concerned that disclosure would undermine operations against AQAP, as well as potentially damage counter-terrorism collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
Drones reportedly carry out strikes without Yemeni government permission[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21350437[/url]
Pretty neato but can't wait for the conspiracies.
[QUOTE=Muthenfrucheir;39498448]Pretty neato but can't wait for the conspiracies.[/QUOTE]
What is "neato" about drone strikes?
Its nice to be closely allied with human rights violators.
[QUOTE=Starpluck;39498468]Its nice to be closely allied with human rights violators.[/QUOTE]
Having a drone base is a violation of human rights?
[QUOTE=WhiskeyTangoF;39498528]Having a drone base is a violation of human rights?[/QUOTE]
He's referring to Saudi Arabia.
[QUOTE=WhiskeyTangoF;39498528]Having a drone base is a violation of human rights?[/QUOTE]
No, but what the drones are being used for is.
[QUOTE=Patriarch;39498460]What is "neato" about drone strikes?[/QUOTE]
I think its pretty neat that someone can sit in a comfortable chair in Nevada and play something like a video game while serving his/her country.
The Middle East has become a veritable Mecca for drones.
[QUOTE=areolop;39498783]I think its pretty neat that someone can sit in a comfortable chair in Nevada and play something like a video game while serving his/her country.[/QUOTE]
Killing innocent civillians and justifying it by calling them "millitants" is not serving your country.
[QUOTE=Patriarch;39498887]Killing innocent civillians and justifying it by calling them "millitants" is not serving your country.[/QUOTE]
did I say they were killing things? nope. I just said its cool how someone across the world can pilot an aircraft somewhere else and be conformable doing it while still serving the country
[QUOTE=ewitwins;39498568]No, but what the drones are being used for is.[/QUOTE]
A drone is a weapon like any other. If the ball is being dropped and civilians are being killed instead of insurgents, that's a failure on the part of the operators, not the weapon.
A lot of people seem to be under the impression that the drone pilot is deciding who lives and who dies from thousands of miles away. That isn't the case, there's a lot of intelligence work and analysis done to determine targets. If weeks are spent setting up a strike on a training camp and it turns out it was a goat farm, heads roll. Mistakes happen but they aren't nearly as common as successful strikes that don't get reported.
I'm not saying innocents haven't been killed or that they're somehow justified, far from it. But innocents have been shot by boots on the ground, too. Collateral damage isn't unique to drones.
[QUOTE=Starpluck;39498468]Its nice to be closely allied with human rights violators.[/QUOTE]
okay starpluck what is your idol country that isn't allied with human rights violators?
Palestine? No
Iran? No
China? No
Russia? No
Israel? No
Any NATO country? basically no.
[QUOTE=Patriarch;39498887]Killing innocent civillians and justifying it by calling them "millitants" is not serving your country.[/QUOTE]
Because that's the only use for drones right, its not like they are used for surveillance at all.
Also IMO the neat thing about this is the fact they have been doing it for two years without anyone exposing it.
[QUOTE=Zambiesv2;39499274]okay starpluck what is your idol country that isn't allied with human rights violators?
Palestine? No
Iran? No
China? No
Russia? No
Israel? No
Any NATO country? basically no.[/QUOTE]
You would expect the west who constantly sanctions other(non aligned with the west) countries for human rights violations to you know, ally with countries who have the same interests rather then put economic and military interests ahead of the will of civilians.
Because it is pretty hypocritical. If the're gonna talk the talk but not walk the walk. Maybe society isn't ready for this yet.
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