Drones: UN investigator asks US to release data on civilian casualties
Ben Emmerson says that the involvement of CIA in countries where strikes occur hinders transparency.
Ben Emmerson says that the involvement of CIA in countries where strikes occur hinders transparency. PHOTO: AFP
A United Nations investigator called on the US to make its data on drone strikes and civilian casualties public, BBC News reported on Friday.
Ben Emmerson who has visited various countries where strikes take place said while speaking to US officials that the involvement of CIA creates "an almost insurmountable obstacle to transparency".
During his visit to Pakistan, he was told that at least 400 civilians were killed by the drone strikes since 2004.
The Pakistani government continues to regard drone strikes as counter-productive and detrimental to the process of curbing terrorism.
Some estimates say that as many as 2,500 people have been killed in drone strikes from 2004, with nearly 200 of those casualties children.
Emmerson who is a British lawyer and acts as the UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, has prepared an interim report for the UN's Human Rights Council on his work since January 2013.
The report says that the national security considerations to justify the US withholding its own data on civilian casualties cannot be accepted.
The report also states that if drones are used in accordance with humanitarian law, they are capable of reducing the risk of civilian casualties in armed conflict.
Ben Emmerson who has visited various countries where strikes take place said while speaking to US officials that the involvement of CIA creates "an almost insurmountable obstacle to transparency".
During his visit to Pakistan, he was told that at least 400 civilians were killed by the drone strikes since 2004.
The Pakistani government continues to regard drone strikes as counter-productive and detrimental to the process of curbing terrorism.
Some estimates say that as many as 2,500 people have been killed in drone strikes from 2004, with nearly 200 of those casualties children.
Emmerson who is a British lawyer and acts as the UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, has prepared an interim report for the UN's Human Rights Council on his work since January 2013.
The report says that the national security considerations to justify the US withholding its own data on civilian casualties cannot be accepted.
The report also states that if drones are used in accordance with humanitarian law, they are capable of reducing the risk of civilian casualties in armed conflict.