Key GOP members defend US drone attacks

Several top Republican lawmakers have defended US drone program, rejecting the idea that the killing of two hostages during a drone attack in January reflects a problem with drone strikes.

The White House announced on Thursday that two hostages, including one American, were killed during a US operation against an al-Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border.

The White House identified the hostages killed in the operation as American contractor Warren Weinstein and Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto.

However, the US lawmakers asserted Thursday that the Obama administration and Congress should look into how such strikes kill unintended targets, noting that the US should continue the use of drones.

The incident, which resulted in the death of the hostages, “does not bring into question the use of drones,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.). He added that “no one — no one — believes you can’t use drones anymore. That’d be crazy.”

McCain said the Obama administration ought to “absolutely” conduct an examination of the strike, adding “you have to have a review of the operations and what went into the decisions and all that”.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he has "no problem at all with anything that happened,” adding “We’re at war. Whether you drop a bomb from an airplane and you hit a collateral damage, it’s not different than if you use a drone.”

He said he is “not for stopping this program,” adding it “has been a good tactical weapon” in the so-called war on terror.

Also, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said the panel has “extensive oversight” of drone strikes.

“We always go back and look at any counterterrorism action that we take, and we will do it in great detail on this one,” he said. He described the collateral damage caused by US drone attacks as “minimal”.

In addition, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations panels, dismissed the fact that US drone policy has been overly aggressive, saying drones are “good technology “.

 "Drones can be a technology that can be very effective, and they tend to reduce — they don’t eliminate — reduce the possibility of unacceptable risks to others," Kaine said.

The aerial attacks, initiated by former US president, George W. Bush in 2004, have been escalated under President Obama.

The United States conducts drone strikes in Afghanistan as well as Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia despite international criticism.

While Washington claims the targets of the drone attacks are al-Qaeda militants, local officials and witnesses have on many occasions maintained that civilians have been the victims of the attacks over the past few years.

AT/AT

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