What is apparent from “Use of drones a necessary resort” {14th March 2013} by Vincent Phillips is his limited understanding of US geo-politics. With a belligerence that suggests bigotry, Vincent supports the bombing of blameless villagers in distant sovereign lands. Even though my original letter focused specifically on the US disregard for International Law, this was entirely ignored by Vincent.
Vincent refers to the “so called US aggression” as if it is an issue of semantics or an anomaly. Does he know that the US has invaded 55 nations since the Second World War? Before the “evil of Islamism”, there was the “evil of Communism, Socialism, Fascism and many other isms”. I believe that the US will create an “ism” to enable them to kill those who resist the US agenda of imperialism. Perhaps Vincent can explain the rationale for the US invasion of Vietnam, Korea or the many other wars fought in South America against non-Muslims. By stating that “the real perpetrators of global terror are the Islamists and their apologists”, I wonder, did Vincent do studies to determine how many have been killed by US activity versus that of his “so-called Islamists”?
President Hamid Karzai, who was originally installed as a US proxy, recently accused the US led military coalition and the Talban of working in concert to foment violence in Afghanistan. If the Taliban are the cruel cowards and fanatical brutes that Vincent mentions, why is the US colluding with them. Was Taliban rule and the killing of Osama Bin Laden the reason for the invasion of Afghanistan or does the abundant oil, gas and opium have any part? If Vincent is referring to the Afghan Mujahedeen whose absurd system of feudal governance inspired the formation of the Taliban, then he should know that the Mujahedeen was structured and trained by the US. Along with Osama bin Laden the Mujahedeen as a proxy, fought the American created Cold War against the former Soviet Union.
Recently the Pakistani ambassador stated that more than a thousand civilians including two hundred children were killed by US drones strikes. The ambassador added that, claims made by the US about the accuracy of drone strikes were totally incorrect. Victims who tried to bring compensation claims through the Pakistani courts had been blocked by US refusals to respond to legal actions. The US has defended drone attacks as self-defense and has refused to allow judicial scrutiny of the program.
Vincent should consider if murder by remote control should be regarded as self-defense and how villagers in rural Pakistan threaten the military might of the USA? The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that more than 4,000 people have been killed in drone strikes since 2002 in rural Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The vast majority were civilians. Perhaps Vincent can explain why the US is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court and other legal forums where action may be started. The Director of the International Commission of Jurists recently stated that “immense damage was being done to the fabric of international law” by US drone strikes. Vincent should also consider the long term consequences should Russia, China or Iran decides to utilise this technology.
I suggest Vincent reads “The looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright. This could explain the relationship his “intolerant Middle Eastern states” have with the US. He would then understand why feudal Arabism enjoys the military protection of the US. For cheap oil and to delay the democratic liberation of Muslims, the US plays murderous geo-political games at the expense of innocent villagers.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress