Death Toll Hits 95 in US Military’s Horrific, Illegal Air Strike Campaign

Responding to the U.S. military’s Southern Command’s announcement of three air strikes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean killing eight people, Amnesty International USA’s Director of Security and Human Rights, Daphne Eviatar, said:

“With three air strikes killing eight people, Monday was the deadliest day since October in the U.S. military’s horrific, illegal campaign in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

“This ramping up of the bombing campaign despite increased pressure from Congress signals the administration’s total disregard for the law. Congress must do everything in its power to rein in this administration’s lawless behavior. Congress must exercise its oversight power to ask how these decisions are made, what intelligence is being used, and what the legal justification the administration is claiming and push back forcefully on these illegal actions.

“The latest killings, which bring the total to at least 95 since early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, a form of murder, in clear violation of both domestic and international law.

“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 to 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, 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 at least 95 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.