Bureau reporter discusses importance of leaked drone strike record
This week the bureau published a leaked official Pakistani record of 330 CIA drone strikes.
In the latest episode of the Bureau’s podcast Drone News, Alice Ross who obtained this document on a trip to Pakistan talks more about what it reveals.
Also in this episode, an international law expert discusses the terminology used by the US to describe people they are killing.
Listen to the latest episode of the podcast here or on iTunes.
Susan Breau of Reading University explains that US officials use the term militant which is not recognised by international law when they describe people being targeted by covert drone strikes. Combatant by contrast has a clear legal definition, she said. They are legitimate targets in armed conflict.
She told the Bureau: ‘[The US] didn’t use the word combatant, they didn’t use the word civilian. They used the word militant’ which does not have a definition in international law. Breau was speaking on the latest episode of the Bureau’s podcast Drone News.
