Responding to the December 4 U.S. air strike in the Eastern Pacific, which killed four people bringing the death toll to at least 87 people in 22 bombings, Amnesty International USA’s Director for Security and Human Rights, Daphne Eviatar, said:
“Despite the obvious illegality of these military operations, the U.S. killing spree continues. This outrageous disregard for the rule of law must end.
“We are glad to see increased criticism of the U.S. military’s actions following recent revelations about the September 2 bombing, in which after conducting an initial air strike against a boat, the U.S. military then allegedly bombed helpless survivors clinging to the wreckage.
“However, all the strikes so far have been illegal under both domestic and international law. All of them constitute murder because none of the victims, whether or not they were smuggling illegal narcotics, posed an imminent threat to life. Congress must take action now to stop the U.S. military from murdering more people in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
“Intercepting purported drug boats is a law enforcement operation, subject to policing standards derived from international human rights law, which holds that all people have the rights to life and a fair trial and only allows states to use lethal force when an imminent threat to life exists and less extreme means, like capture, are insufficient.
“A state intentionally killing someone outside those circumstances is committing an extrajudicial execution, a form of murder, no matter what crime the person is alleged to have committed.”
Background
Since September 2, the U.S. military has undertaken a series of air strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific which have killed dozens of people, allegedly targeting drug cartels, who White House officials refer to as “narco-terrorists.” Thus far, the administration has not shown any evidence for its claims against the people it has killed.
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