OVER 80 US DRONE ATTACKS REPORTED IN YEMEN IN 2012: RIGHTS GROUP

      Sana’a, 20 Jumadil AKhir/29 April 2013 (MINA) – United States has carried out over 80 assassination drone attacks in Yemen in 2012, which have caused significant civilian casualties, a Yemeni rights group says.

      According to Yemeni National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), unmanned US drones carried out over 80 air attacks in Yemen last year.

       Meanwhile, Yemeni activist Farea al-Muslimi, said in his testimony before a US Senate committee that “rather than fighting terrorism, US drone strikes in his country were fuelling it”. He also said that the United States has become an enemy of Yemenis by carrying out the drone strikes and targeted killings.

      “While American hold courses on the rule of law for Yemenis, they are violating it by carrying out drone attacks,” Muslimi told the Senate committee.

       According to Press TV reports quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA), Washington uses its assassination drones in Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia, claiming that they target the terrorists. The attacks, however, have mostly led to massive civilian casualties.

       The United Nations has censured the US drone attacks as targeted killings, stressing that the raids flout international law. Reports, however, say that the CIA is seeking to expand its covert drone attacks in Yemen.

        Yemenis have held several anti-US rallies across the country over the past months and have called on their government to cut all ties with Washington over the deadly airstrikes. (T/P05/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)