Killing Children in ‘Self Defense’

Nobody can tell you how many children have been killed by drone strikes or “targeted” missiles and bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Yemen or Libya, writes Craig Murray.

Child in Gaza City during the cease fire after the 2008–2009 conflict. (andlun1, Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

By Craig Murray
CraigMurray.org.uk

The lives of the latest 15 Palestinian children to be murdered by Israel in Gaza, lives ripped from their small, terrified bodies with devastating violence, do not seem of much concern to the powerful in the West, or indeed anywhere. 

The BBC repeated without question Israel’s claim that its latest launch of high explosive at the Gaza concentration camp was to prevent a terrorist attack on Israeli civilians — of which prospective attack no evidence has been produced. No Western media has asked for any. Nor has it been explained why the attack would be stopped by Israel obliterating the alleged leader in Gaza of Islamic Jihad and many innocents who chanced to be in his vicinity. 

The scenarios in which the assassination of a leader prevent an attack which is in train are Hollywood. 

The brave Daniel Hale sits in solitary confinement (euphemistically called a “Communications Management Unit) for blowing the whistle on the U.S. drone assassination programme in Afghanistan.

Hale, a drone operative, revealed that 90 percent of people killed by the drone assassination programme in Afghanistan were not the designated target, but that by default everybody killed by a drone strike was labeled an enemy combatant unless positive proof to the contrary were provided (which of course no effort was made to collect).

The extra-judicial execution of “bad guys” with no legal process is not only carried out by Israel. The U.S. and U.K. do it all the time, across the conflicts created by their own neo-imperial adventures and lust for hydrocarbons. 

Nobody can tell you how many children have been killed by drone strikes or “targeted” missiles and bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Yemen or Libya. 

The total across those countries is undoubtedly tens of thousands of dead children. We, however, are apparently the good guys. All those children have been killed in our “self-defence,” just as Israel killed those children in Gaza. I do hope that helps you sleep more soundly.

Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010. His coverage is entirely dependent on reader support. Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.

This article is from CraigMurray.org.uk.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.

5 comments for “Killing Children in ‘Self Defense’

  1. WillD
    August 10, 2022 at 00:25

    Why would anyone believe the ‘self-defence’ argument coming from an aggressor such as Israel? If Israel were genuinely worried about an attack, it was likely because it was anticipated in retaliation for something it had done previously.

    • robert e williamson jr
      August 10, 2022 at 12:40

      I could not agree more. In fact it is countries like Israel, South Africa, UK and the U.S. to name just a few have fallen into a trap claiming the killing innocents is justified.

      In doing so they have forfeited any reason to expect reciprocal considerations from others. So far this cost means little but the day will come when the price will have to be paid for their actions.

      Karma is like that.

  2. robert e williamson jr
    August 9, 2022 at 17:54

    One would think no legitimate reason exists for killing non-combatants. But generals will dispute this statement.

    The history of war proves undisputedly war cannot exist without the deaths of the innocent.

    Americans need to step up and demand it stop. It is likely that even if they were to do so it will not save them from repercussion’s in the future.

    This practice took full flight after the end of WWII the fire bombing led to the use of the two nukes the U.S. used and nothing changed in Vietnam despite vicious headlines about civilian massacres.

    America displays a very serious lack of discipline, criminal neglect by any other name, for openly pursuing military actions with no regard for civilians, the same as other nations actively engaging in terrorism.

    I’m wondering if anyone can prove the difference to me? If you can call the potus!

  3. Nathan Mulcahy
    August 9, 2022 at 17:15

    Illegal? Maybe. But that doesn’t hurt getting a Nobel peace prize awarded!

  4. Vera Gottlieb
    August 9, 2022 at 16:08

    And not a single f***ing sanction imposed…not one.

Comments are closed.