Innocent civilians become main victim of US drone war: Hisham Jaber

Innocent civilians become main victim of US drone war: Hisham Jaber

Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:25PM GMT

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Interview with Hisham Jaber

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We have to expect many mistakes in those strikes. Many times they kill civilians instead of killing terrorists ... and they claimed later that there has been a mistake. Those mistakes are also expected in the future and America will not change its tactics. In my opinion they will increase their drone strikes in those countries and also if you want to talk about the new future tactics of the American administration I think what they call soft war is not that soft. You know, these drone strikes are considered to be among the soft war, as we said it’s not soft; killing people is not soft at all.”

An analyst says America’s so called soft war of mistake-prone killer drone strikes is absolutely not soft as murdering people could never be considered to be gentle or sympathetic.

Press TV has conducted an interview with director of the center for Middle East Studies Hisham Jaber in Beirut to further discuss the issue. What follows is a rough transcription of the interview. 

The comment comes as at least four civilians have lost their lives in a new US assassination drone strike in Yemen’s central province of Marib. 

Yemeni military officials said a vehicle in Marib, situated approximately 170 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital Sana’a was targeted late on Saturday and its four passengers were killed, Saba news agency reported. The report added that the bodies of the four were burnt beyond recognition. 

Washington has been using its assassination drones in Yemen and some other countries, claiming that it is targeting terrorists, but the attacks have mostly led to massive civilian deaths. 

Press TV: Sir thanks a lot for joining us. You know we keep hearing about drone strikes continuing throughout the world and throughout these many Muslim countries. Are they being successful at all? 

Jaber: Yes, I think the American administration did admit these tactics in order to avoid casualties and because if they use drone strikes they can be sure that no one, no American pilot would be captured or killed. 

Of course they are using these tactics and Obama when he came and he did withdraw from Iraq, he is willing to withdraw from Afghanistan and I think we don’t have to expect any direct American military intervention anywhere. 

If you listen to the speech of Obama yesterday we find between the lines that America is not willing to participate in any military operation directly in order to avoid casualties and etcetera. 

Now using drones we have to expect that America will increase using drone strikes against their number one enemy which they consider al-Qaeda or similar groups.

They succeed sometimes; they don’t succeed other times because we have to expect many mistakes in those strikes. Many times they kill civilians instead of killing terrorists which there are plenty to attack. They made these mistakes many times in Yemen and also in Afghanistan when they killed many civilians and they claimed later that there has been a mistake. 

Those mistakes are also expected in the future and America will not change its tactics. In my opinion they will increase their drone strikes in those countries and also if you want to talk about the new future tactics of the American administration I think what they call soft war is not that soft. 

You know, this drone strikes is considered to be among the soft war, as we said it’s not soft; killing people is not soft at all but the new tactics will include this kind of military intervention, military operation beside plots and beside psychological warfare, beside interfering and fighting al-Qaeda or similar groups not by the American forces directly but using local regimes and local forces, like in Pakistan for example using the Pakistani army to fight al-Qaeda and also in Afghanistan. 

And now America has a big problem, you know, with Muslim extremist fundamentalist groups like you know what happened in Syria. After two years America was encouraging the Gulf countries to provide weapons to the rebels in Syria. 

Now America was late in discovering that at the end of the day those groups will not be under control and will present a big risk, threat and danger to America and its interests in the region.

So we have to expect more intervention in the drone strikes and we don’t have to expect any military intervention directly in the region. 

VG/JR 

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01/21/284843/us-soft-war-of-drones-killing-innocents/