Are U.S. drone strikes really war crimes?

Two new reports say the U.S. has indiscriminately killed civilians in Pakistan and Yemen

Drone protests
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Mohammad Hussain, File))

On Tuesday, human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released separate reports on the use of armed U.S. drones to target al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Coming as President Obama prepares to host Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the White House on Wednesday, the reports collectively accuse the U.S. of killing more civilians in Pakistan and Yemen than it has admitted, illicitly targeting rescue parties, and shrouding the drone program's rules and operational details in secrecy.

However, the most explosive allegation is that some U.S. drone strikes amount to probable war crimes. Here's Amnesty:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.