{"id":99388,"date":"2013-12-16T20:09:31","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T20:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dronewars.net\/?p=5010"},"modified":"2013-12-16T20:09:31","modified_gmt":"2013-12-16T20:09:31","slug":"afghans-launch-legal-action-over-british-drone-strike-as-experts-suggest-british-drones-heading-to-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/afghans-launch-legal-action-over-british-drone-strike-as-experts-suggest-british-drones-heading-to-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Afghans launch legal action over British drone strike as experts suggest British drones heading to Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Haji<\/a><\/p>\n

Haji Abdullah, 56, and his son Habibullah, 18, who were both killed by a drone in Helmand province in October 2011<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Legal action has been launched against the UK following the deaths of two men in an alleged British drone strike in Afghanistan<\/a>. The family of Haji Abdullah (56), and his son Habibullah \u00a0(18), say the two men were killed by a drone strike as they drove a tractor on their farm in Nawzad province, Helmand. According to The Times, their relatives watched as a high altitude drone launched a missile which struck the tractor, killing Habibullah almost instantly and leaving his father fatally wounded. The family also said that they had registered the case with local officials without any response.<\/p>\n

Lawyers for the family<\/a> have sent a letter before claim seeking an investigation and requesting disclosure of the RAF\u2019s records relating to the incident. Like the other on-going drone lawsuit – launched by Repreive and Leigh Day & Co. on behalf of the family of Noor Khan<\/a> – the case is likely to take some time coming to court. \u00a0The RAF told The Times that the case had little merit with one source saying dismissively the legal action had \u201cmore holes than Edam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile with David Cameron visiting British forces in Afghanistan and saying \u2018mission accomplished\u2019<\/a> the UK continues to insist that no decision has been taken with regard to the future of the British Reapers currently based in Afghanistan. \u00a0While it is possible (just) that no final decision has been made, it is absolutely \u00a0impossible to believe that no plans at all have been drawn up.<\/p>\n

Until now it appeared that there were only two options: the Reapers would be withdrawn from Afghanistan and stored in the UK (they would not be allowed to fly in the UK under current CAA rules) \u00a0or they would remain in Afghanistan as part of some post-withdrawal security force. \u00a0Now however, a third option has surfaced. According to UN Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson and other well informed sources, there is serious discussion taking place within the MoD about deploying British Reaper to Africa to help with counter-insurgency operations there.\u00a0\u00a0Ben Emmerson stated directly at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drones<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen these assets [British Reapers] are no longer needed or no longer part of a conflict in Afghanistan they are liable to be relocated to Africa in order to be available for use in counter insurgency.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We asked the MoD to comment on these suggestions but all they would say is that \u201cthere are no plans to send British Reapers to Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n

Needless to say the deployment of armed British drones to Africa would be an extremely serious development and should be, at the very least, debated and discussed not least by Parliament. We urge that the MoD clarify immediately what is happening to\u00a0British Reapers currently deployed in Afghanistan after British forces withdraw.\u00a0We will obviously continue to watch this issue closely.<\/p>\n

Britain\u2019s involvement with Israel\u2019s drone wars has been highlighted in a new report by War on Want entitled \u2018Killer Drones: UK complicity in Israel\u2019s crimes against the Palestinian people<\/a>‘.\u00a0 The report examines the UK\u2019s Watchkeeper drone, being built jointly between Thales UK and Elbit Systems of Israel and investigates the impact of Israeli drone strikes on the people of Gaza.\u00a0 War on Want say:<\/p>\n

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“The design and technology of Watchkeeper is based closely on Elbit\u2019s Hermes 450 model, extensively used over Gaza. The British government is in effect, buying technology that has been \u2018field tested\u2019 on Palestinians.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Guardian columnist Seamus Milne, in his recent review of the film Dirty Wars<\/a>, urges that we must also remember the UK\u2019s role in US drone strikes in Pakistan. As he says Britain is up to its neck in US dirty wars and death squads<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere can be no doubt that GCHQ intelligence is used for drone attacks \u2014 just as British undercover units have been operating hand in glove with US special forces in Somalia, Mali, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Milne also engages Peter Lee of Portsmouth Univesity in this five minute Guardain debate video on the use of armed drones:<\/p>\n