Discusses UAS Strikes, Civilian Casualty Count

The US has been very reluctant to even acknowledge that it has a program of drone strikes on foreign soil, let alone offer details. But in an hour-long "hang-out" on Google+ Monday, President Obama both acknowledged and defended the practice, which is being criticized by Amnesty International.

The president said the strikes have targeted "al-Qaeda suspects who are up in very tough terrain along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. For us to be able to get them in another way would involve probably a lot more intrusive military action than the ones we're already engaging in."

Abdul Basit, a spokesman for Pakistan's foreign ministry, responded to Monday's comments by Obama, saying, "Our position on drone strikes is clear and based on principles. Drone attacks are unlawful, counterproductive and hence unacceptable. We cannot condone violation of our sovereignty."

But the BBC notes that officials in Pakistan privately support the strikes.

Amnesty International issued a statement on the president's remarks, insisting on "a detailed explanation of how these strikes are lawful and what is being done to monitor civilian casualties and ensure proper accountability...What are the rules of engagement? While the president's confirmation of the use of drones in Pakistan is a welcome first step towards transparency, these and other questions need to be answered."

Civilian casualties have been significant in some cases for strikes described in terms such as "surgical." One, last March, was reported by townspeople to have killed 40 civilians, mostly attendees at a tribal meeting, in North Waziristan.

President Obama said Monday the drone strikes, which are supervised by the US Central Intelligence Agency, have not "caused a huge number of civilian casualties" and insisted that "this thing is kept on a very tight leash."

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_attacks_in_Pakistan