U.S. Has Nothing to Say About 10-Year-Old Killed in Drone Strike
■ On June 9, a U.S. drone fired on a vehicle in a remote province of Yemen and killed several militants, according to media reports. ■ It soon emerged that among those who died was a boy – 10-year-old Abdulaziz, whose elder brother, Saleh Hassan Huraydan, was believed to be the target of the strike. A McClatchy reporter recently confirmed the child’s death with locals. (Update: The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism today reported that there was "strong evidence" it was a U.S. drone strike, but it could not confirm the fact.) ■ It’s the first prominent allegation of a civilian death since President Obama pledged in a major speech in May “to facilitate transparency and debate” about the U.S. war on al Qaida-linked militants beyond Afghanistan. He also said “there must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured” in a strike. So what does the administration have to say in response to evidence that a child was killed? Nothing.