U.S. Drone Strikes Come Under Fire From Intl Human Rights OrganizationsMadison Ruppert These reports come on the heels of an interim report by a United Nations special rapporteur, which also questioned the legality of the program and mentioned the deaths of hundreds of civilians. Amnesty Internationals new report, released Tuesday, details the U.S. drone program in Pakistan. The program in Pakistan has been by far the most active and one of the most contentious. The report was based on 60 interviews with eyewitnesses, families and residents of North Waziristan, the Pakistani tribal region, where many of the U.S. drone strikes occur. Human Rights Watchs new report, released publicly on Monday, focuses on civilian casualties in Yemen. The Human Rights Watch report is based on interviews with 90 people about six U.S. strikes in Yemen. One of the strikes dates from 2009 and five occurred from 2012 to 2013. The reports are filled with graphic anecdotes that are not recommended reading for the faint of heart. They include the goriest of details and direct quotes from people who witnessed horrific incidents. The Human Rights Watch report recommends some steps for the governments of both the United States and Yemen to take. As the interim U.N. report did, the report called for the number of militants and civilians killed to be released. However, it also called for the release of the Justice Department memoranda outlining the Obama administrations interpretation of operational law behind the drone program. Of course currently the legal justification for the drone program is completely secret. In January 2013, a federal judge ruled that the Obama administration never has to explain the legal basis for the killing of Americans by drone, though they can continue to claim it is legal to do so. In February, a Justice Department white paper not the official memo at issue here was released, showing that the government believes they can kill Americans without clear evidence of terrorist activity. Human Rights Watch also called on the Yemeni government to take steps to ensure that all possible precautions are taken to lessen the danger to civilians when targeted killings are carried out. The report also calls on Yemens government to provide prompt and meaningful compensation for any loss of life or damage to property when civilians or their property is harmed. Amnesty International was left with significant uncertainty, arising from the US authorities deliberate policy of refusing to disclose information or even acknowledge responsibility for particular attacks. This conclusion is quite similar to that of the interim U.N. report. What is certain from Amnesty Internationals research, however, is that the cases in this report raise serious concerns that the USA has unlawfully killed people in drone strikes, and that such killings may amount in some cases to extrajudicial executions or war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law, the Amnesty International report states. There two major obstacles facing transparency in the U.S. drone program, TIME reports, citing Joshua Foust, a commentator on U.S. counter-terrorism policy and former fellow at the American Security Project. First, the drone politics of a country like Pakistan are messy, with the government quietly supporting the strikes (including feeding the U.S. intelligence), then publicly condemning them and whipping public opinion into a frenzy, TIME reports. Second, the U.S. government has little political incentive in declassifying drone policy, as there are virtually no political consequences for the Obama Administration continuing as they have for years. Until Americans start having a problem with the use of U.S. drones abroad, Foust says that none of the other calls for redress or openness will come to pass. Id love to hear your opinion, take a look at your story tips and even your original writing if you would like to get it published. I am also available for interviews on radio, television or any other format. Please email me at Admin@EndtheLie.com Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store. This article first appeared at End the Lie. 