Skip to main content

Up to 90 pct of U.S. drone strikes hit the wrong target, major leak reveals

Up to 90 percent of those killed by drone strikes in the first five months of a U.S. operation in Afghanistan were not the intended targets. This is just one of many startling revelations that an anonymous whistleblower has revealed through confidential documents shared with The Intercept. The documents offer the most detailed look to date at the secret and extensive military drone program run by the United States. The whistleblower who leaked these documents believes that the public deserves to know what is contained within.

Drone strikes are supposed to be ruthlessly precise and effective, but the leaked documents are filled with moral questions and acknowledgement by American officials that the programs are imperfect.

Among the revelations:

  • How people are placed on “kill lists”
  • How the President makes these decisions
  • The secret criteria for drone strikes
  • How the White House approves targets
  • The 60-day “window for lethal action”
  • Details about the special operations task force that helps guide the program
  • The costs of drone warfare
  • Results of a secret early-2013 Pentagon study on the drone program
  • Findings that show “chronic flaws” in intelligence
  • How drones fly from Djibouti, to Ethiopia, to Yemen and from Navy ships
Recommended Videos

The documents state that there must be a “low CDE [collateral damage environment]” — meaning a low estimate of how many innocent people might be harmed. It also states there must be “near certainty” that the target is present, “based on two forms of intelligence” with “no contradictory intelligence.” In contrast to a White House statement, the “near certainty” standard is not applied to the presence of civilians.

Many are likening the sensitivity of this information to the Edward Snowden revelations made just over two years ago. Snowden himself has emerged yet again to share his thoughts on the matter. Calling the latest release “an act of civil courage,” Snowden believes it is the most important national security story of the year.

It is unknown when these documents were extricated, but at least some of it dates to sometime in early 2013, which was just before Snowden began releasing his documents. If any documents date later than Snowden’s leak, questions will surely arise whether the state of security surrounding this kind of classified information has improved.

While these leaks may pale in comparison to Snowden’s revelations of mass surveillance, they demonstrate the flaws of drone technology, surveillance, and the deadly consequences for humans caught in the crossfire. The minimal American political and human capital required to execute a drone strike has made it a popular option for the military. With this release, we’re beginning to understand its true cost.

John Casaretto
Former Digital Trends Contributor
John is the founder of the security company BlackCert, a provider of SSL digital certificates and encryption products. A…
PayPal vs. Venmo vs. Cash App vs. Apple Cash: which app should you use?
PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and Apple Wallet apps on an iPhone.

We’re getting closer every day to an entirely cashless society. While some folks may still carry around a few bucks for emergencies, electronic payments are accepted nearly everywhere, and as mobile wallets expand, even traditional credit and debit cards are starting to fall by the wayside.

That means many of us are past the days of tossing a few bills onto the table to pay our share of a restaurant tab or slipping our pal a couple of bucks to help them out. Now, even those things are more easily doable from our smartphones than our physical wallets.

Read more
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content -- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more