3% collateral damage acceptable in killing militants by Drone? Yes!

* The Pakistani government said Wednesday that 3% of 2,227 people killed in U.S. drone strikes since 2008 were civilians, a surprisingly low figure that sparked criticism from groups that have investigated deaths from the attacks.

The number, which was provided by the Ministry of Defense to the Senate, is much lower than past government calculations and estimates by independent organizations that have gone as high as 300. The ministry said 317 drone strikes have killed 2,160 Islamic militants and 67 civilians since 2008.

* A surprising number of Pakistanis are in favour of drone strikes:  So when Sofia Khan, a school administrator from Islamabad, travelled with hundreds of anti-drone campaigners to a ramshackle town bordering the restive Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) last October she was stunned by what some tribesmen there had to say.

One man from South Waziristan heatedly told her that he and his family approved of the remote-controlled aircraft and wanted more of them patrolling the skies above his home. Access to the tribal regions is very difficult for foreign journalists; but several specialists and researchers on the region, who did not want to be identified, say there is at least a sizeable minority in FATA who share that view.

I have discussed the use of drones in the past and of course I have a controversial viewpoint on this. If you think about the growing situations around the world requiring not boots on the ground necessarily but watching I believe 100% you will agree.As I always say you must look at the whole picture before forming an opinion, that certainly applies here too.

Under Obama from the beginning The United States has stepped up its attacks with the pilot less drone aircraft attacks in Pakistan even more so since a double agent blew himself up at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on December 30, killing seven CIA agents. The so called weak President on terror has drastically increased the use of like it or not what has become an important tool in the so called war on terror, drones. We should have used them exclusively in Afghanistan, we could have saved Billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives.

Are we at war or not? I am not going to say the US should be able to put boots on the ground wherever she wants in this still just beginning so called war on terror but it must be realized and acknowledged that like it or not the US is a prime target if not the main target and is the prime face in the so called war on terror.

The big argument against the use of Drones is innocent people are sometimes killed. I am sorry for that but question the numbers as the extremist we are killing in every instance say we are killing civilians when we are killing them to anger civilians and create and enforce world sentiment against the use of drones.

We have been saying from the beginning that this is a new kind of war, a war like no other. We the entire world better make believe they realize that and act accordingly. Our future depends on it. Everyone who reads my reports knows I did not trust Bush and Cheney an iota. They made me question everything we have done in the past.

That said, I would hope that Obama has no designs of dominating the sovereignty of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Africa, or anywhere else we have to go to prosecute this so called war on terror. Muslim countries do not want our boots on the ground so they have to allow openly or clandestinely our use of drones in this the first war of the 21st century!

The uses of Drone’s are a necessary evil even as just an observer as the events in Syria, Iran, and the Arab spring countries certainly must prove. They are our equalizer as IED’s are the militant’s necessary evil and equalizer in the new battlefront! The draw back in IED’s or drones is civilian casualties, by the extremists killing civilians is their goal not so called collateral damage. Civilians always pay the price!

That said, civilian casualties are hard to verify as the so called enemy inflates the numbers to win the media war for hearts and minds with wild allegations as we are not allowed to put boots on the ground in Yemen or Pakistan. We can not relent and we must all increase our efforts and do what we can to ensure our success and our successful future!

35 years ago I was in hardened nuclear missile silo's 70 feet underground. I am sure we are still there to counter any threat from China or Russia. We have a command devoted to operating and maintaining these systems. I agree that we should be doing the same thing with drones. Reading the link at the top I knew Drones were being used in Yemen, Somalia, and Libya but was surprised to read about the even more wide spread housing and use of Drones.

It is a necessary evil and at the very least I firmly believe we should set up a separate command dedicated to their use and maintenance. I firmly believe all our troops around the world not just in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, the Philippines, Africa, and everywhere else they are openly and clandestinely should be brought home where they are needed and we should be watching events around the world with drones.

If countries do not want them there they can get rid of the so called terrorist threat by policing themselves and we will have to go home or be the unnecessary aggressor we appear to be.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

The much maligned Drone is increasingly turning the tide

Major al-Qaida leaders killed in US drone strikes

Al Qaeda's deputy leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was killed in a drone strike in northern Pakistan, an American official confirmed on Tuesday, in the biggest single success in the controversial campaign's eight-year history.

The drone strike occurred on Monday in a small village outside Mir Ali, a major hub of Pakistani and international militancy in North Waziristan Province. At the time, American officials announced that Mr. Libi had been the strike’s target, but could not confirm his condition. Pakistanis living in the area of the strike reported that he had been either killed or seriously wounded, and that 15 other people had been killed.

Mr. Libi, who was believed to be in his late 40s, moved up to become Al Qaeda’s deputy, behind Ayman al-Zawahri.

One of the most senior al-Qaeda figures in Afghanistan was killed in a weekend air strike, Nato-led forces say. In a statement, Nato described Saudi-born Sakhar al-Taifi as the group's second-most senior figure in Afghanistan. Sakhar al-Taifi died in "a precision air strike" in the Watahpur district of Kunar province, according to a Nato statement. Another rank and file member of al-Qaeda was killed at the same time. Al-Taifi, who also went by the names of Mustaq and Nasim, arranged for weapons and insurgent fighters to be transported into Afghanistan, Nato says.

I have discussed the use of drones in the past and of course I have a controversial viewpoint on this. If you think about the growing situations around the world requiring not boots on the ground necessarily but watching I believe 100% you will agree.As I always say you must look at the whole picture before forming an opinion, that certainly applies here too.

Under Obama from the beginning The United States has stepped up its attacks with the pilot less drone aircraft attacks in Pakistan even more so since a double agent blew himself up at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on December 30, killing seven CIA agents. The so called weak President on terror has drastically increased the use of like it or not what has become an important tool in the so called war on terror, drones. We should have used them exclusively in Afghanistan, we could have saved Billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives.

Are we at war or not? I am not going to say the US should be able to put boots on the ground wherever she wants in this still just beginning so called war on terror but it must be realized and acknowledged that like it or not the US is a prime target if not the main target and is the prime face in the so called war on terror.

The big argument against the use of Drones is innocent people are sometimes killed. I am sorry for that but question the numbers as the extremist we are killing in every instance say we are killing civilians when we are killing them to anger civilians and create and enforce world sentiment against the use of drones.

We have been saying from the beginning that this is a new kind of war, a war like no other. We the entire world better make believe they realize that and act accordingly. Our future depends on it. Everyone who reads my reports knows I did not trust Bush and Cheney an iota. They made me question everything we have done in the past.

That said, I would hope that Obama has no designs of dominating the sovereignty of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Africa, or anywhere else we have to go to prosecute this so called war on terror. Muslim countries do not want our boots on the ground so they have to allow openly or clandestinely our use of drones in this the first war of the 21st century!

The uses of Drone’s are a necessary evil even as just an observer as the events in Syria, Iran, and the Arab spring countries certainly must prove. They are our equalizer as IED’s are the militant’s necessary evil and equalizer in the new battlefront! The draw back in IED’s or drones is civilian casualties, by the extremists killing civilians is their goal not so called collateral damage. Civilians always pay the price!

That said, civilian casualties are hard to verify as the so called enemy inflates the numbers to win the media war for hearts and minds with wild allegations as we are not allowed to put boots on the ground in Yemen or Pakistan. We can not relent and we must all increase our efforts and do what we can to ensure our success and our successful future!

35 years ago I was in hardened nuclear missile silo's 70 feet underground. I am sure we are still there to counter any threat from China or Russia. We have a command devoted to operating and maintaining these systems. I agree that we should be doing the same thing with drones. Reading the link at the top I knew Drones were being used in Yemen, Somalia, and Libya but was surprised to read about the even more wide spread housing and use of Drones.

It is a necessary evil and at the very least I firmly believe we should set up a separate command dedicated to their use and maintenance. I firmly believe all our troops around the world not just in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, the Philippines, Africa, and everywhere else they are openly and clandestinely should be brought home where they are needed and we should be watching events around the world with drones.

If countries do not want them there they can get rid of the so called terrorist threat by policing themselves and we will have to go home or be the unnecessary aggressor we appear to be.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

US setting up secret drone bases in Africa, Indian Ocean to curb emerging triple Al Qaeda threat: The wider use of Drones is a necessary evil

US setting up secret drone bases in Africa, Indian Ocean: The United States is reported to be expanding a secret drone program in east Africa and the Arabian peninsula in order to gather intelligence and strike al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia and Yemen.

I have discussed the use of drones in the past and of course I have a controversial viewpoint on this. If you think about the growing situations around the world requiring not boots on the ground necessarily but watching I believe 100% you will agree.As I always say you must look at the whole picture before forming an opinion, that certainly applies here too.

Under Obama from the beginning The United States has stepped up its attacks with the pilot less drone aircraft attacks in Pakistan even more so since a double agent blew himself up at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on December 30, killing seven CIA agents. The so called weak President on terror has drastically increased the use of like it or not what has become an important tool in the so called war on terror, drones. We should have used them exclusively in Afghanistan, we could have saved Billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives.

Are we at war or not? I am not going to say the US should be able to put boots on the ground wherever she wants in this still just beginning so called war on terror but it must be realized and acknowledged that like it or not the US is a prime target if not the main target and is the prime face in the so called war on terror.

The big argument against the use of Drones is innocent people are sometimes killed. I am sorry for that but question the numbers as the extremist we are killing in every instance say we are killing civilians when we are killing them to anger civilians and create and enforce world sentiment against the use of drones.

We have been saying from the beginning that this is a new kind of war, a war like no other. We the entire world better make believe they realize that and act accordingly. Our future depends on it. Everyone who reads my reports knows I did not trust Bush and Cheney an iota. They made me question everything we have done in the past.

That said, I would hope that Obama has no designs of dominating the sovereignty of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Africa, or anywhere else we have to go to prosecute this so called war on terror. Muslim countries do not want our boots on the ground so they have to allow openly or clandestinely our use of drones in this the first war of the 21st century!

The uses of Drone’s are a necessary evil even as just an observer as the events in Syria, Iran, and the Arab spring countries certainly must prove. They are our equalizer as IED’s are the militant’s necessary evil and equalizer in the new battlefront! The draw back in IED’s or drones is civilian casualties, by the extremists killing civilians is their goal not so called collateral damage. Civilians always pay the price!

That said, civilian casualties are hard to verify as the so called enemy inflates the numbers to win the media war for hearts and minds with wild allegations as we are not allowed to put boots on the ground in Yemen or Pakistan. We can not relent and we must all increase our efforts and do what we can to ensure our success and our successful future!

35 years ago I was in hardened nuclear missile silo's 70 feet underground. I am sure we are still their to counter any threat from China or Russia. We have a command devoted to operating and maintaining these systems. I agree that we should be doing the same thing with drones. Reading the link at the top I knew Drones were being used in Yemen, Somalia, and Libya but was surprised to read about the even more wide spread housing and use of Drones.

It is a necessary evil and at the very least I firmly believe we should set up a separate command dedicated to their use and maintenance. I firmly believe all our troops around the world not just in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, the Philippines, Africa, and everywhere else they are openly and clandestinely should be brought home where they are needed and we should be watching events around the world with drones.

If countries do not want them there they can get rid of the so called terrorist threat by policing themselves and we will have to go home or be the unnecessary aggressor we appear to be.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

The drone wars! Are we at war or not?

PBS: "Targeting the Taliban"


McCain and Lieberman offer reassurance about relations with US as Pakistan renews call for end to US drone strikes to improve them!

While Lieberman and McCain were in Pakistan touting our cooperation and success in the drone program they both promised to continue Pakistan has renewed calls for an end to US drone aircraft strikes, an issue that could strain ties as the CIA hunts down Muslim militants after one of the deadliest attacks in its history in neighboring Afghanistan. In Pakistan, McCain and Lieberman offer reassurance about ...

As they have from the beginning Pakistan officially objects to the operations against suspected al Qaeda and Taliban militants along its border with Afghanistan, saying they violate its sovereignty to satisfy their citizens. At the same time Islamabad has pushed Washington to provide it with the drones to allow it to carry out its own attacks on Taliban insurgents, a move that could ease widespread anti-American sentiment in Pakistan.

Under Obama from the beginning The United States has stepped up its attacks with the pilot less drone aircraft attacks in Pakistan even more so since a double agent blew himself up at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on December 30, killing seven CIA agents. The so called weak President on terror has drastically increased the use of like it or not what has become an important tool in the so called war on terror. Pakistan renews call for end to US drone strikes

Are we at war or not? I am not going to say the US should be able to put boots on the ground wherever she wants in this still just beginning so called war on terror but it must be realized and acknowledged that like it or not the US is a prime target if not the main target and is the prime face in the so called war on terror.

We have been saying from the beginning that this is a new kind of war, a war like no other. We the entire world better make believe they realize that and act accordingly. Our future depends on it. Everyone who reads my reports knows I did not trust Bush and Cheney an iota. They made me question everything we have done in the past.

That said, consider the source! I would hope that Obama has no designs of dominating the sovereignty of Pakistan, Yemen, or anywhere else we have to go to prosecute this so called war on terror. Muslim countries do not want our boots on the ground so they have to allow openly or clandestinely our use of drones in this the first war of the 21st century!

The uses of Drone’s are a necessary evil. They are our equalizer as IED’s are the militant’s necessary evil and equalizer in the new battlefront! The draw back in IED’s or drones is civilian casualties. Civilians always pay the price!

That said, civilian casualties are hard to verify as the so called enemy inflates the numbers to win the media war for hearts and minds with wild allegations as we are not allowed to put boots on the ground in Yemen or Pakistan.

Therefore civilian casualties are Yemen and Pakistan’s fault as all sides agree we can not relent and we must all increase our efforts and do what we can to ensure our success and our successful future!






James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com

America needs health care not Insurance care! Get rid of the Filibuster 5!

Conservatives are a problem, in this case it is conservative Democrats! Obama should campaign against them! Conservative Democrats are already conniving to defeat the opt out public option. I hope they do, it will be their Waterloo! This was a wise move by Senator Reid. It may save his Senate seat! I just love this. We keep hearing that 75% of the public want the public option and Republican Senators do not want to give it to them. This is great, now the people will take it out on their Senators if they don't give them the public option. People need help.

Many are losing their houses and going bankrupt because of ill health and no insurance. You know, 14,000 every day lose their health insurance. Premiums are going through the roof and will continue to skyrocket. The insurance industry will continue to raise them and blame it on Obama and the public option.

This is a crisis and something has to be done! This was gutsy of Reid, It is about time! Like it or not the system is going to change.
.

The opt out public option won't destroy the industry but they will go up on the rates just to say see we told you. They decide who lives and dies and do not want to be forced to cover sick people.

I heard this morning that the insurance companies take 30% right off the top. That is worse than the Mafia. Vegas is only allowed to take 18%

I also heard that Obama is being ridiculed saying he will cut $80 Billion saving it in waste. I listened to it on Keith Olbermann and there was an analysis done and it was grossly underestimated. It was more like $800 Billion because of waste and fraud. Expensive tests are given when not needed to save the Doctor time to squeeze in more patients.

Expensive procedures are used when a cheap one would suffice so Doctors can make more profit and they are trying to minimize law suits. All this has to stop and I am sure it is much worse.
.

As you may know, Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, and Mary Landreaux, Lincoln, and Bayh, are threatening to vote with the Republicans to defeat the public option. With so many people hurting I wish they would. It would be the end of their career. When all is said and done and this comes up to a vote I am confident there will be compromise but it will pass in some form. We better start holding this slime accountable now and at the polls!

I keep hearing today Pelosi is going to introduce another Bill some say it will not have a robust public option, Some like Congressman Clyburn who knows what she is going to introduce says it will have a very robust public option. Man my head is spinning again! If Pelosi introduces a bill without a healthy public option that will be a defeat.

* I used to be a fan of Lieberman's if only because his wife is from my town of Gardner and they were here when he was running for President. Forget it! That turncoat was for the public option before he was against it because his state of Connecticut's insurance industry gave him a million dollars. He used to represent the 68% of blue voters that make up his State. They better start calling out their turncoat Senator! Get rid of him.He does not represent them or America only the insurance industry! * IT IS TIME FOR A THIRD PARTY! We no longer have a party that represents the people. The hell with the phony tea partiers being called the Real Americans. THE REAL AMERICANS BETTER STAND UP!

I understand that even if it passes it will not be in effect until 2013 meaning those that think they will get instant relief are going to continue to hurt for years! The way things go 2013 would be early and I expect much later is more like it. That it will happen and a public option looking more likely bodes well for Obama in 2012 but only if our economy, the average Americans economy improves as the other economy the economy of the wealthy is now! The only way our economy will recover is if health care reform is passed with some form of a public option is passed. I believe op out in the end will make enough op in to get it passed!

As you can see we must pass this and can not put it off as it will take years to get it activated and those against it will keep prolonging it. I hope all Democrats remember Teddy Kennedy. Hear his voice and come together to give health care to all Americans. Think of his legacy! Conservative Democrats seem to want nothing but to stand in the way. They have to be put in their place by Obama. He must grow a spine!

Obama should stand up and let Democratic Senators know that he will campaign against any one that votes against the public option. Lieberman threatens to filibuster his friend Harry Reid's Bill but Reid said that though Lieberman represents Connecticut's huge insurance Industry his friend will not disappoint him in the end. Lieberman he said is the least of his worries though I do not like him always making his worthless self the center of attention!

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com

Lieberman: attack Iran, Bush arms Sunni's, Lebanon, Palestinian civil war, then the missile shield!

Lieberman says attack Iran, Bush arms Sunni's, Lebanon, Palestinian civil war, then the missile shield Coup De Grace will involve the entire world!
During the night I kept reflecting on conversations I had here over the weekend regarding Bush's efforts to divide the world with his missile shield. The conversations inadvertently turned to Iraq's civil war, preventing war with Iran, the middle east breakdown, and Bush's efforts to expand the chaos he created in the middle east so he could finish breaking down order to replace it with his version of order per the Russian Doctrine of Destruction he is following. http://www.anaveragepatriot.com/...
Knowing that attacking Iraq was just a way for Bush to get our troops in the middle east and that attacking Iran was just one of his goals I know he will not leave Iraq until he engulfs the entire middle east and the world in war on one side or the other so he can prosecute what he thinks will be his new order.
Others have hope but waking up this morning and hearing today's developments should make you think twice. I had to go to the VA so I have had all day to dwell on this.
I was surprised this morning to hear Lieberman the warmonger advocate attacking Iran. Lieberman:"I think we've got to be prepared to take military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq." He spoke in regard to Iran's role in Iraq. "And to me, that would include a strike into — over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers." He made these comments and many more on CBS Face the Nation. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Like you I am disgusted with these warmongers and their over use, misuse, and abuse of our military. Then I heard we were arming Sunni's in their civil war.
With the 4-month-old "surge" in U.S. troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, U.S. commanders are turning to another strategy they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight Al-Qaida-linked militants who have been their allies in the past.
U.S. officials who have engaged in what they call "outreach" to the Sunni groups say the groups are mostly ones with links to Al-Qaida, but disillusioned with Al-Qaida's extremist tactics, particularly suicide bombings that have killed thousands of Iraqi civilians.
In exchange for U.S. backing, these officials say, the Sunni groups have agreed to fight Al-Qaida and halt attacks on U.S. units. Commanders who have undertaken these negotiations say that in some cases Sunni groups have agreed to alert U.S. troops to the location of roadside bombs and other lethal booby traps. http://www.mercurynews.com/...
Knowing this will get a lot worse and that Bush wants to keep a Korea style military force in the middle of these fanatics I have to ask, what the hell are they thinking?
To top it off, knowing that in Lebanon Lebanese troops were raining down artillery and tank fire on a Palestinian refugee camp, pressing ahead with an assault to crush al Qaeda-inspired militants dug in there.
But despite 23 days of fierce fighting at Nahr al-Bared camp, the army appeared no closer to its declared aim of forcing Fatah al-Islam to surrender and lay down its arms. So far At least 130 people have been killed, including 57 soldiers, in three weeks of fighting, the worst internal clashes since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...
Then there is Palestine who seems to be racing into their own civil war. Gunmen fired at the house of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas early Monday and warring factions threw militants to their deaths from high-rise buildings, in a dangerous escalation of infighting in Gaza.
The two sides have been locked in a violent power struggle since Hamas ousted Fatah from power in January 2006 elections. Hamas brought Fatah into its government in March in an effort to quell the internal strife, but the fighting reignited in mid-May over an unresolved dispute over who controls the powerful security forces.
Fifty-five people have been killed in the latest outbreak of violence, most of them militants. A truce declared two weeks ago was meant to end the clashes, but last week the fighting resumed around the southern Gaza City of Rafah. http://www.foxnews.com/...
It is sadly obvious that Bush intends to stay in the middle of this still developing middle east chaos and is doing his damnedest to expand this and include the entire world on one side or the other as he pushes for his new world order. Remember, he must breakdown all existing order before he can install his idea of new order and he is well on his way!

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com