Obama's slow approach on drones harmful



The US president Barack Obama has had a bad few weeks in Washington. He has been subject to fierce media attacks over various issues involving civil liberties and policies at home and abroad. So it is understandable that his speech yesterday was widely seen as an attempt to ease pressure on his administration.

Mr Obama's focus is on the use of drones, which has been a signature policy of this president. The use of drones to target enemies abroad has angered several countries, primarily Pakistan and Yemen. Drones have also radicalised individuals in those countries and especially in communities where drones have killed innocent people.

The tactic has recently been the subject of heated debate in the US, leading to a Senate judiciary committee's first ever public hearing into the matter in April. Worse still, the US attorney general admitted for the first time on Wednesday that four American citizens were killed by drones in 2009 - at least one of those deaths had not previously been reported.

Despite fierce debates at the time over the legality of drone strikes or the targeting of American citizens outside their country, the Obama administration shunned the debates and even refused to attend the first public hearing in April. That is why the confirmation of the death of four American citizens just a day before Mr Obama's speech is significant and will hopefully lead to mounting pressure to abandon such strategies.

Again and again well-informed critics, both those close to the current US adminstration and those (metaphorically and geographically) far away have criticised the use of drones, pointing out that their use is illegal and their effect is counterproductive. But Mr Obama does not seem to listen.

As much as drone attacks seem easy for the US, they are in fact enormously costly. They are costly morally, since the programme is essentially one of assassination. They are costly politically, since US allies like the governments of Pakistan and Yemen lose the support of their people. And they are costly tactically, since the constant threat of drones turns civilians against the US.

Indeed, even without factoring the astonishing detail of the US president killing without legal charge his own fellow citizens, the drones programme must be one of the most costly of America's military tactics - and all without making the country any safer.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Cry Macho

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro
Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books 

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The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Fixture and table

UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

  • 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
  • 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

 

UAE Premiership – final standings

  1. Dubai Exiles
  2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins
  3. Jebel Ali Dragons
  4. Dubai Hurricanes
  5. Dubai Sports City Eagles
  6. Abu Dhabi Saracens
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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
RESULTS
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com

ASHES FIXTURES

1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27 
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8

Jawan
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EXPATS
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5