When the Government Kills

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Obama Apologizes After Drone Kills American and Italian Held by Al Qaeda (New York Times 4/23/15)

U.S.-Led Forces Killed Syrian Civilians, Rights Groups Say: Airstrikes on village controlled by Islamic State kills more than 60 civilians, say two human-rights groups (Wall Street Journal 5/1/15)

This is not a "gotcha" column. But before reviewing American drone and airstrike policy, it is not inappropriate to remind the president and company that hubris is an unattractive trait.Last summer, as Israel was defending itself from Hamas rockets fired at its civilian population often from within the civilian population of Gaza, the White House was vehement in its criticism of Israel. A White House spokesman called Palestinian casualties, "totally unacceptable and totally indefensible." A DoD spokesman said, "The civilian casualties in Gaza have been too high. And it's become clear that the Israelis need to do more to live up to their very high and public standards." The State Department piled on. After one incident in which Hamas and UNRWA claimed only civilian casualties had occurred, the White House said, "All evidence points to Israeli artillery as the cause," and that Israel "can and should do more to protect the lives of innocent civilians." [The exception to the stream of invective was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, who not only said Israel went to "extraordinary lengths" to avoid civilian casualties, but sent a senior team of American military officers to Israel to study IDF counterterrorism and urban warfare tactics.]



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