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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><ARTICLE id=post-32315
class="post-32315 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-drones category-fisa category-leak-investigations category-torture tag-david-petraeus tag-dianne-feinstein tag-john-brennan tag-john-cornyn tag-john-kiriakou tag-john-mccain"><FOOTER
class=entry-meta><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <SPAN
class=cat-links><SPAN
class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</SPAN> <A
title="View all posts in Drones"
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/category/drones/" rel="category tag">Drones</A>,
<A title="View all posts in FISA"
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/category/fisa/" rel="category tag">FISA</A>, <A
title="View all posts in Leak Investigations"
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rel="category tag">Torture</A> </SPAN><SPAN class=sep>| </SPAN><SPAN
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class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-tag-links">Tagged</SPAN> <A
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/david-petraeus/" rel=tag>David Petraeus</A>,
<A href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/dianne-feinstein/" rel=tag>Dianne
Feinstein</A>, <A href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/john-brennan/"
rel=tag>John Brennan</A>, <A href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/john-cornyn/"
rel=tag>John Cornyn</A>, <A href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/john-kiriakou/"
rel=tag>John Kiriakou</A>, <A href="http://www.emptywheel.net/tag/john-mccain/"
rel=tag>John McCain</A> </SPAN><SPAN class=sep>| </SPAN><SPAN
class=comments-link><A
title="Comment on Blabby Brennan to Replace Publicity Petraeus at CIA?"
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/01/08/blabby-brennan-to-replace-publicity-petraeus-at-cia/#comments"><B>1</B>
Reply</A></SPAN> </FOOTER></ARTICLE><ARTICLE id=post-32313
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<H2 class=entry-title><A
title="Permalink to Brennan Attacks First Responders Again"
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/01/08/brennan-attacks-first-responders-again/"
rel=bookmark>Brennan Attacks First Responders Again</A></H2>
<DIV class=entry-meta>By: <A title="Posts by Jim White"
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/author/jim-white/" rel=author>Jim
White</A> Tuesday January 8, 2013 9:16 am </DIV>
<DIV class=comments-link></DIV></HEADER>
<DIV class=entry-content>
<P>In a sane world, John Brennan would be on his best behavior while his
nomination to lead the CIA is pending approval in the Senate. Sadly, the world
we inhabit has become so insane that Brennan’s “best behavior” appears to be a
return to drone strikes that come with alarming frequency and include so many
missiles fired at each target that it seems likely Brennan has returned to the<A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com']);"
href="http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/a-question-of-legality/">
war crime</A> of <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com']);"
href="http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/">attacking
first responders</A> who are attempting to rescue survivors at the
attack site.</P>
<P>I had noted last May that at least <A
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/23/us-drone-strike-in-pakistan-reeks-of-political-retaliation-yet-again/">some
US drone strikes appeared to have underpinnings that were as political</A> as
they were strategic, and my belief in that premise was strengthened as <A
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/28/brennan-to-pakistan-the-beatings-drone-strikes-will-continue-until-morale-improves/">Brennan
and the CIA escalated attacks to near daily</A> at the time when US-Pakistan
relations had reached a low point during negotiations to re-open NATO supply
routes through Pakistan. Although some of the attacks I have described as
political seem to have been very poorly targeted, especially the attack that <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://articles.latimes.com']);"
href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/24/world/la-fg-drone-study-20120925">killed
42 people</A> gathered<A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.nytimes.com']);"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/world/asia/18pakistan.html?_r=3&ref=world">
for a jirga</A> just after the release of Raymond Davis, I was encouraged as the
attacks slowed and appeared to be targeted on stronger underlying intelligence
last fall and this winter.</P>
<P>However, it appears that the pace of attacks is picking up once again, both
in frequency and in the number of people killed in each attack. <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.longwarjournal.org']);"
href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/01/us_drones_strike_aga_3.php">Bill
Roggio noted in Long War Journal</A> that the attack on Sunday was already the
fourth attack of January in only its sixth day. That attack left 17 dead,
although it appears that three separate compounds were targeted in the attack.
Today, we have yet another strike, bringing the total to five in eight days.
Today’s attack, at least <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://tribune.com.pk']);"
href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/490896/unrelenting-attack-drone-attack-kills-4-people-in-n-waziristan/">according
to the Express Tribune</A>, came in two separate waves, and raises the question
of whether the US is once again targeting first responders who are trying to
rescue survivors:</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>US operated armed drones fired missiles in Mir Ali and Essukhel area of
North Waziristan in two sorties early on Tuesday morning killing at least
eight people, <EM>Express News</EM> reported.</P>
<P>According to <EM>Express News</EM>, the CIA-operated drones first
fired at least eight missiles at a compound in Haiderkhel area of
Miranshah killing five people. Four people were also injured in the
attack.</P>
<P>Locals are sifting through the rubble to recover the bodies of the dead and
rescue the injured.</P>
<P>In a second attack in as many hours, drone attacks killed at least three
people.</P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Although the Express Tribune article could be read in a way to believe that
the two sorties might not have hit the same compound, an article by <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.reuters.com']);"
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/08/us-pakistan-drone-idUSBRE90705320130108">Reuters</A>
and two different AP articles in the <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.nytimes.com']);"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/world/asia/pakistan-drone-strike-kills-8-militants-officials-say.html?ref=world&_r=0">New
York Times</A> and <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.washingtonpost.com']);"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistani-intelligence-officials-say-8-militants-killed-in-american-drone-strike/2013/01/07/3e39af66-593f-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa_story.html?hpid=z3">Washington
Post</A> all make it clear that today’s attack concentrated on a single
compound. Going back to the information in the Express Tribune article, then, we
see eight missiles fired in the first volley. We have no information on how much
time passed between missiles or if first responders had time to get to the scene
and begin rescue operations. However, the second sortie, described as within two
hours, seems quite likely to have been carried out despite the presence of
“Locals” described by the Express Tribune as “sifting through the rubble to
recover the bodies of the dead and rescue the injured”.</P>
<P>Such is the <A
href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/10/25/the-moral-rectitude-assassination-czar/">moral
rectitude</A> of the man who has been nominated to be the Director of the CIA.
He has once again knowingly targeted first responders who were attempting to
rescue survivors from a previous attack.</P>
<P><STRONG>Update</STRONG>: Long War Journal now reports that <A
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.longwarjournal.org']);"
href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/01/us_drones_launch_2_s.php">today’s
strikes were on two different compounds</A>. The primary conclusion about
targeting first responders still stands, since it still is being reported that
eight missiles were fired at the first
compound.</P></DIV></ARTICLE></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>