US Continues Drone Strikes in Pakistan

By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NORTH WAZIRISTAN, Pakistan – The US government continued its drone-striking campaign against the Taliban over the past week.  This time the government killed at least two alleged pro-Taliban fighters in the tumultuous northwestern region of Pakistan.  The two attacks, which included direct hits in North Waziristan, occurred within an hour of each other on Wednesday according to Pakistani officials.  The first attack included a series of four missile strikes aimed at a departing vehicle in Miran Shah, an important center in North Waziristan.  This initial four-missile strike also razed a residence which was close to the targeted vehicle.  The second attack consisted of a three-missile strike in Madakhel, another town approximately 40 km from Miran Shah.

These particular missile strikes occurred after a recent US drone strike killed at least eleven peoples all suspected to be agents acting in allegiance with the Taliban.  Previous attack, along with the latest couple of drone missile strikes, demonstrates a pattern of concentrating the targeted killing of pro-Taliban fighters in North Waziristan.

Although the US drone attacks have been an effective means of killing Taliban supporters, their continual use and adverse effects have come under immense scrutiny on a number of occasions.  The UN and the international community, along with many NGOs and other human rights groups, have made numerous human rights violations claims.  There has been a history of significant collateral damage caused by the US drone strikes.  Many opponents of US drone attacks have claimed that the strikes cause an unconscionable arbitrary loss of civilian lives.  Although unintended casualties are to be expected in the theater of war, those challenging the legality of US drone strikes have determined that the high rate of civilian death supersedes allowable collateral damage.

Furthermore, there have been conflicting views of whether or not the US drone strokes constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life and property without due process.  The CIA, which has control over conducting the missile strikes, does not release public statements regarding their attacks, but has continually defended the legality of implementing drones.  However, the intelligence organization has yet to release a statement responding directly to the myriad human rights violations it has allegedly perpetrated.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Pakistanis die in US drone raids – 17 March 2010

BBC News – US drone strike in Pakistan ‘killed key al-Qaeda man’ – 17 March 2010

Radio Free Europe – US Drone Strike Kills Five in Northern Pakistan – 17 March 2010

The US government continued its drone-striking campaign against the Taliban over the past week.  This time the government killed at least two alleged pro-Taliban fighters in the tumultuous northwestern region of Pakistan.  The two attacks, which included direct hits in North Waziristan, occurred within an hour of each other on Wednesday according to Pakistani officials.  The first attack included a series of four missile strikes aimed at a departing vehicle in Miran Shah, an important center in North Waziristan.  This initial four-missile strike also razed a residence which was close to the targeted vehicle.  The second attack consisted of a three-missile strike in Madakhel, another town approximately 40 km from Miran Shah.

These particular missile strikes occurred after a recent US drone strike killed at least eleven peoples all suspected to be agents acting in allegiance with the Taliban.  Previous attack, along with the latest couple of drone missile strikes, demonstrates a pattern of concentrating the targeted killing of pro-Taliban fighters in North Waziristan.
Although the US drone attacks have been an effective means of killing Taliban supporters, their continual use and adverse effects have come under immense scrutiny on a number of occasions.  The UN and the international community, along with many NGOs and other human rights groups, have made numerous human rights violations claims.  There has been a history of significant collateral damage caused by the US drone strikes.  Many opponents of US drone attacks have claimed that the strikes cause an unconscionable arbitrary loss of civilian lives.  Although unintended casualties are to be expected in the theater of war, those challenging the legality of US drone strikes have determined that the high rate of civilian death supersedes allowable collateral damage.
Furthermore, there have been conflicting views of whether or not the US drone strokes constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life and property without due process.  The CIA, which has control over conducting the missile strikes, does not release public statements regarding their attacks, but has continually defended the legality of implementing drones.  However, the intelligence organization has yet to release a statement responding directly to the myriad human rights violations it has allegedly perpetrated.

Iran Arrests Thirty Accused of Launching Cyber War

By Bobby Rajabi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On March 13, Iran arrested thirty individuals that were accused of waging an organized, United States-backed cyber against the Islamic Republic. The news was reported by Iran’s Fars news agency. Iran accused the thirty individuals and their American backers of gathering information on Iranian nuclear scientists. The Islamic Republic also claims that individuals are being sent abroad for training on how to gather information for the United States.

Iran’s judiciary claims that the thirty arrested individuals began being funded by the United States in 2006. The plan, allegedly, was to destabilize the Iranian government. The Iranian judiciary continued to allege that former U.S. President George W. Bush supplied four hundred million dollars for the cyber war project against the Islamic Republic. A State Department spokesman chose not to respond to the report by Fars.

The overall project was dubbed “Iran Proxy, ” according to the Fars report. The Fars agency reported that “thirty people were arrested in connection with an organized American cyber war netowrk via a series of complex security measures in the field of information technology and communications.”

One branch of “Iran Proxy” was allegedly capable of infiltrating Iran’s data banks and sabotaging its web sites. It was also capable of facilitating contacts between opposition figures in Iran and, allegedly, U.S.-funded media such as Voice of America radio and Radio Farda. Fars also reports that the cyber war included the staging of “illegal demonstrations and encouraging the public to take part in them after the president elections.”

Fars also reported that the judiciary said the U.S. used anti-filtering software during the demonstrations to wage psychological war against the nation.

Iran claims that it has dismantled several of the allegedly U.S.-backed opposition networks. It claims that among those involved in the cyber warfare is the People’s Mujahideen Organization, a leftist groups exiled from Iran which launched attacks on the country from Iraq during the Hussein Regime. Iran claims that cyber warfare included sending individuals to train with the PMOI in Iraq in order to launch additional attacks on the Islamic Republic.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Iran Says it Struck US-Backed Opposition Groups – 13 March 2010

CNN – Iran Arrests 30 Accused of U.S.-Backed Cyber War – 13 March 2010

Reuters – Iran Arrests 30 Over U.S.-linked Cyber Ring: Report – 13 March 2010

Two Serbs Convicted of War Crimes

By Kenneth F. Hunt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BELGRADE, Serbia – A war crimes tribunal in Serbia convicted and sentenced two Serbs for perpetrating war crimes during the conflict for independence in Croatia between 1991 and 1995.

On Monday March 15, Pano Bulat and Rade Vranesevic were found guilty by the War Crimes Council of the Belgrade High Court for murdering six civilians in March 1992 during the conflict.

Mr. Bulat and Mr Vranesevic were tried in Serbia because they were both Serbian residents. However, the prosecution proceeded pursuant to an agreement between Serbia and Croatia to cooperate on prosecuting the war criminals.

The six civilians were between the ages of 63 and 81; five were female and one was male. All the victims were killed in Banatski Kovacevac, a town in eastern Croatia. They were given twelve and fifteen year sentences, respectively, for their roles in perpetrating these war crimes

The Court found that the victims were killed with an automatic rifle by Mr. Vranesevic and a pistol by Mr. Bulat. The victims bodies were later burned. In sentencing the men, the Court emphasized that the victims were not part of any police or military group.

Mr. Bulat and Mr. Vranesevic were both members of Republika Srpska Krajina, a self-proclaimed army in territory held by rebel Serbs. Republika Srpska Krajina, and other militant groups, were opposing Croatia’s 1991 declared independence from the former Republic of Yugoslavia.

Bruno Vekaric, the Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor, praised the result as a victory for justice. Mr. Vekaric also highlighted the cooperation between Serbia and Croatia as a success, and said he looked forward to 28 other war crimes prosecutions in which the countries are currently working together.

According to the AP, Serbia continues to cooperate in war crimes prosecutions against its citizens and residents in an effort to seek admission to the European Union.

For more information, please see:

ASSOCIATED PRESS – 2 convicted in Serbia for Croatia war crimes – 16 March 2010

B92 – Conviction for war crimes in Croatia – 15 March 2010

JAVNO – Two Serbs jailed for Croatia war crimes – 15 March 2010

Compensation to Evicted Artists in China

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – A group of artists who resisted violent attempts to evict them, will receive compensation for giving up their claims to property and for their hardship.  A spokesperson for the group stated that they were awarded 6 million yuan ($0.88 million) for their protest. The amount is to be divided among dozens of artists living and working in the district.

Artists in China compensated after daring protest A worker uses a hammer on an old building to be demolished in China. Photograph courtesy of Yahoo! World News.

The artists involved were from art districts, Zheng Yang and the 008 area. The group’s representative, Zhang Jun, said that they were able to form an agreement after negotiations with local officials. Compensation came after an incident involving about 100 men who wore white masks and were armed with iron rods. They swarmed the two art districts, beating several as they marched through the regions.

Zhang stated that it was unclear who would pay the compensation, because the ties between the real estate developer and the government of the Chaoyang District of Beijing were murky. He said the negotiations went smoothly and took place with district officials, though police officers acted as intermediaries. In a public announcement, Zhang indicated that, “If they had been so rational and polite three months ago, everything would simply be fine.  We just want to be treated as humans.” 

The incident in Zheng Yang was not, however, an isolated event. Another group of artists in the Zhengyang district have also been compensated, although the amount has yet to be confirmed, according to spokeswoman, Xiao Ge.  Xiao is the curator of a project supporting the artists. For three months, the artists have taken turns standing guard to prevent developers from coming in to take over and destroy their studios.  Local authorities and land developers had said the artists must move out to make way for redevelopment. Water and electricity have reportedly already been cut off.

According to Xiao, “This is the first time that Chinese artists have united to protect their rights. It’s a small victory.” An even bigger triumph is the detention of 18 people last month, who were suspected of assaulting the artists, state media reported.

In the aftermath of negotiations, leaders from both Zhengyang and 008 will establish a “rights protection fund” to assist people in similar situations, such as the teachers and children in nearby migrant schools resisting forced eviction.

For more information, please see:

 Yahoo! World News – Artists in China compensated after daring protest – 16 March 2010

Global Times – Artists receive compensation for attack – 16 March 2010

New York Times –  China Compensates Evicted Artists – 15 March 2010

Colombian Intelligence Agency Wiretapping Political Opposition

By Sovereign Hager
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

Supreme Court justices, journalists, opposition politicians, generals in the armed forces, prosecutors, and even some high government officials have allegedly been being monitored for the past several months by the Presidential Intelligence Service (DAS). (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)
Supreme Court justices, journalists, opposition politicians, generals in the armed forces, prosecutors, and even some high government officials have allegedly been being monitored for the past several months by the Presidential Intelligence Service (DAS). (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)

BOGOTA, Colombia-Colombia’s Supreme Court asked the prosecutor general to place two witnesses in the trial of former Presidential Intelligence Service  or DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) director Jorge Noguero under state protection, after reports that the witnesses are being followed and threatened. Noguero is on trial for alleged involvement in alleged acts of wire tapping Colombian citizens.

This is just the latest in numerous complaints regarding the DAS. In late 2005, Noguero was accused of working with paramilitares to facilitate narcotrafficking and in the development of a list of human-rights workers and labor leaders to be murdered. The recent allegation of wire tapping forced the resignation of DAS director María de Pilar Hurtado.

The DAS was allegedly conducting surveillance on opposition Senator Gustavo Petro. However, allegations are that the DAS conducts surveillance of many prominent citizens. “Targets” include opposition politicians, social movement leaders, journalists, and even Supreme Court officials trying to investigate ties between paramilitary narcotraffickers and President Uribe’s political allies.

One source reported that “any person or entity who represents an eventual danger for the government has to be monitored by the DAS. As a result, more than a year ago, the activities of the Supreme Court, and some of its members, came to be considered and treated as a legitimate target.” This was corroborated to a local news agency by four other DAS officials.  A local media outlet reports that almost all DAS surveillance materials on high profile Colombians were destroyed by investigators after they were collected at the Office of Counter Intelligence.

The witness currently under court ordered protection include former DAS employee Matha Leal and former paramilitary Wilson Mayorga.

For more information, please see:

Colombia Reports-Court Seeks Protection For DAS Trial Witnesses-15 March 2010

Center for International Policy-The New DAS Scandal-27 February 2010

MediaLeft-Colombia’s DAS: Vicious Security Octopus Acts With Impunity-9 February 2010