Targeted drone killings

Sir, – According to Associated Press reports, 13 people were killed and 22 others injured when a US drone attack hit a convoy going to a wedding party in the province of al-Bayda in Yemen, on December 12th. This was less than three days after President Obama gave his lofty address at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. AP also reported that a drone strike killed 12 villagers in a similar procession in the same province last year.

In 2012 a New York Times report revealed, "Every week or so, more than 100 members of the [US] government's sprawling national security apparatus gather, by secure video teleconference, to pore over terrorist suspects' biographies and recommend to the president who should be the next to die."

Such targeted assassinations are often carried out by CIA drones, so do not come under the laws of war, nor is the US at war with Yemen. Even the killing of suspected militants in this manner is in breach of international and national laws. The reckless killing of civilians in such attacks arguably amounts to a war crime. – Yours, etc,

EDWARD HORGAN,

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Newtown,

Castletroy,

Limerick.