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Libya and Somalia raids — more rendition, more wars in Africa

01 Nov

U.S. Navy SEAL fires an MK11 sniper rifle from an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 and deployed with the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during a training flight in the Arabian Sea. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy)

U.S. Navy SEAL fires MK11 sniper rifle from an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter during a training flight in the Arabian Sea. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy)

The twin U.S. raids in Libya and Somalia occurred almost a month ago but they’re still worth discussing, especially in light of the movie “Captain Phillips”, which stars Tom Hanks and is based on the 2009 hijacking of an American ship by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. The movie was released October 11. Also, I haven’t been able to lay out my thoughts on the raids until now. Overall, they signify a continuation of rendition and the expansion of U.S. militarism into Africa.

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Posted by on November 1, 2013 in Africa, International Relations, Irregular warfare & covert operations, Middle East & North Africa, Somalia, War & Peace

 

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“Death Note” and Obama’s Kill List

08 Jun

Cover of “Death Note”. Source: Wikipedia

On May 29, 2012, the New York Times published a long report (based on interviews with three dozen current and former Obama administration advisers) revealing how President Obama personally authorizes every drone strike against individuals suspected of being terrorists. Every Tuesday, the President, with two dozen counterterrorism officials, pore over mug shots and biographies of each suspect. The goal of these meetings is to determine which of these suspects is enough of a national security threat to warrant kill or capture — of which, the New York Times puts it, “the capture part has become largely theoretical”. As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of the popular Japanese manga “Death Note” (which also became an anime series, a live-action film, and was banned in China). “Death Note” is a perfect allegory for the insidious moral implications of Obama’s targeted killing policy. Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2012 in Civil Rights/Liberties, Drones/Drone warfare, Human Rights, International Law, International Relations, Irregular warfare & covert operations, Pakistan, Somalia, Targeted killing, War & Peace, Yemen

 

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