First Drone Friendly Fire Deaths
Published: 12 April, 2011, 21:10
Edited: 13 April, 2011, 02:02
United States Air Force Global Hawk un-manned reconnaissance aircraft. (Photo from http://www.af.mil)
TAGS: Military, Accident, Terrorism, Afghanistan, USA
For the first time, US servicemen were killed last week as a result of friendly fire from an unmanned drone aircraft.
United States officials say that Navy Seaman Benjamin Rast and Staff Sergeant Jeremy Smith lost their lives due to friendly fire when a drone aircraft accidentally unloaded on the troops in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand. Reports reveal that Rast and Smith were among a unit ordered to reinforce Marines coming under heavy fire in Sangin from insurgents and that their death came as a result of friendly fire.
Drones are typically used in the area for hunting out Taliban members; the aircrafts use infrared imaging to identify insurgents on the ground and most likely mistook the US troops as enemy forces. Earlier this year drones mistakenly killed almost two dozen civilians overseas in one strike, but last week's incident marks the first time that US troops have been the victim of their own military's drones.
A February drone strike in the Afghanistan province of Oruzgan killed as many as 23 civilians—including two children—when US operators of a robotic plane mistakenly identified the citizens as members of the Taliban.
A drone mission in March, which was believed to target Pakistani members of the Taliban, killed more than 38 suspected militants near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border when an aircraft struck a compound in Datta Khel, North Waziristan.
US officials announced on Tuesday that they are investigating last week’s incident.
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What is not clear here is, are all of the drones remotely controlled, or are they trialing autonomous ones?It seems that the American military are pushing for more autonomous drones, if this is the case, then skynet is just round the corner, lets hope there remains a human hand to pull the plug on it.
Their actions are criminal, but because the countries they attack dont have the resorces to fight back they get away with it.I was amused when they lost one to iran , they call it cyber warfare, what was stuxnet.The Americans stick their nose in everywhere,then cry when it gets bloodied.No one can deny terrorism is a threat, russia has suffered from terror attacks as well, but the methods must match the task, drone strikes and their collateral bring more recruits running for the terrorists.





Last week helicopters, with Honduran troops and American DEA agents, opened fire on a group of peasants, in pursuit of drug mules travelling in canoes. Two pregnant women and two other indigenous people were murdered accidently (sic). Of course the Americans denied that they did the shooting, only Honduran troops opened up with machine gun fire. The following day the villagers burned down all of the nearby government buildings. They want nothing to do with the Americans. Imagine what the Americans will do with airfields in Latin America? Some believe that 'God' created the heavens and earth and all the creatures, including man that inhabit it. Satan, the rebel angel hates life, and destroys it at every opportunity. American foreign policy that encompasses, kidnappings, torture, assassinations, bombings, etc. has become the ideology of the Devil. They hate life! The poor suffering people of the world should pray for 12/21/12, the coming 'Mayan Doomsday'. I just hope I live long enough to finally see justice in this world. The corruption of mankind is complete. The end is coming.