Back in the day, Christmas brought with it an unofficial truce during times of war, allowing troops to celebrate the holiday, maybe even with their families back home.
Thanks to technological advancements in warfare, this is no longer necessary. Armed drones enable soldiers to extrajudicially assassinate their targets from the safety of military bases thousands of miles away. This way they can get home to their families just in time for supper.
Perhaps this is why the Obama administration chose Christmas Eve to launch two drone strikes in Yemen, the first in 47 days, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ). Investigative journalist Kevin Gosztola reports:
On Christmas Eve, a US drone attacked a vehicle and killed at least two suspected al Qaeda militants in the southern Bayda province of Yemen. The attack happened in the early evening in the country. It was believed a “mid-level al Qaeda Yemeni operative,” Abdel-Raouf Naseeb, was one of the men killed.
A second US drone strike took place later in the night. Gulf News reported five “unidentified people” were killed in an attack on a motorcycle. The story quoted a Yemeni senior security official, who said, “Four of the people died at the scene and the fifth suffered heavy injuries and died later on in hospital. We do not know whether they are members of Al Qaida or not. Shiher residents suspect that there are outsiders.” TBIJ noted the strike on the Hadramout province, an area believed to be a “main operating base of al Qaeda,” was the first one in 15 weeks.
So there you have it. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like murdering brown people in far away lands with flying killer robots. Surely, Jesus would approve.
The President also may have launched a cyberattack against Iran on Christmas day. The New York Times reports that the US and Israel “have been engaged in a shadowy struggle of computer sabotage with Iran in a broader dispute” over Iran’s nuclear program, which evidence shows is being used strictly for civilian purposes. This comes on top of crippling sanctions implemented by the US and its allies, which have thus far led to food shortages, inflation, unemployment and unmeasurable misery for Iran’s population of 75 million. The death of an Iranian teen with hemophilia has been directly linked to the sanctions, which have resulted in drug shortages throughout the medical field.
Let us remember this suffering as those at the receiving end of our war machine nervously await what the US has in store for them come New Year’s Eve.
Oh you forgot to add, ” and may have saved your ass from a future terrorist strike”. Thank you to all the men and women involved in this operation! Nice job. Keep up the good work.
You can’t co-exist. One wants free speech, one will kill you for mocking his god. Sorry. It just doesn’t work out. Choose.
Yes, Jim, I’d say Operation American Empire has been a success this holiday season. It’s good the Empire has supporters like you, who think it is okay to run roughshod over any country’s sovereignty just so you can remain “safe” or “protected.”
Thanks for adding some humanity to the conversation, Kevin.
Thanks Kevin, I wasn’t just a sideline supporter. It’s ok though, I hoped you slept well at night while I was crawling around in snow and mud gathering intel on plans that some of these people were going to use to hurt you and your family. Their now dead and not a threat to you anymore.
You’re welcome.
The racism, and Imperial hubris that Obama worship has unleashed on the left is what we’re dealing with in the first comment. As far as the second goes, it just shows you how the enlightenment of an atheist point of view, doesn’t unfortunately always cure murderous blood lust. You may think you’re liberals, but both display totally fascistic mentalities. Congrats, you’ve won my scorn.
Exactly. The atheist comment is reminiscent of Christopher Hitchens worldview. That’s why when people say that the elimination of religion would end all wars, I laugh.
But don’t forget this, Rania, Christmas is evil, http://brahmsky.com/2012/12/28/zombie-christmas-crappy-new-year/
and that’s why Santa Wore Red, http://brahmsky.com/2012/12/25/santa-wore-red/
9/11 was blowback for US involvement in the Persian Gulf War and the stationing of US troops in Saudi Arabia. Imagine the blowback that will be coming from this. Hubris anyone?
Much of the military operations in north africa seem like training ops for the big conflicts to come when the US attempt to secure resources on the continent in the face of competition from china and, to a lesser extent, russia. Of course, the US can claim they are fighting terrorism ™ in an attempt to keep the world safe from the baddies, but it seems like a new era of colonialism is upon us.
Practice makes perfect.
To all the military personnel, thank you for securing our future.
Military secure nothing. If a country is attacked, people have right to defend their country. The US, along with a miserable rag tag mob, destroy communities across the globe because they wish to live differently to disaster of ‘Democracy/capitalism’. And why wouldn’t they?
Democracy/capitalism can only survive while it has the resources of others to plunder. It cannot survive on its own resources.
Plungerman has it right, The ex-colonisers are attempting to re-colonise the so called ‘third world’, as that is where the remaining resources are. Others, who are making a fist of it, improving peoples lives have to be destroyed else ever more people turn away from a disastrous strategy, toward a more sustainable lifestyle.
Don;t ever thank the military for anything!
Haha! Someone needs a history lesson.
Most people most certainly do. History stripped of the propaganda.
Not only USans, but those, who like me grew up in the British Empire!
Fear, greed, defence of their own privileges,, defence of ‘their proper place in the world’. the assumption that ‘democracy/,capitalism’ was/is superior all played a part. There was damned little truth in the propaganda and fear mongering generated.
And the worst are the deluded military bods who actually believe this crud.
IS CHRISTMAS EVIL? Some analysis suggests so, http://brahmsky.com/