• U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about his administration's counterterrorism policy in Washington on May 23, 2013.
    © 2013 Reuters
    US: Pledges to End ‘War,’ Close Guantanamo
    United States President Barack Obama’s new call to transfer detainees from Guantanamo and wind down the “war” with al-Qaeda could jumpstart a US counterterrorism policy more consistent with US human rights obligations.
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Targeted Killings and Drones

  • US: Pledges to End ‘War,’ Close Guantanamo
    May 24, 2013
    United States President Barack Obama’s new call to transfer detainees from Guantanamo and wind down the “war” with al-Qaeda could jumpstart a US counterterrorism policy more consistent with US human rights obligations.
  • Obama Rejects Perpetual War, But Questions Remain About Targeted Killings
    May 23, 2013
  • US: Policy Recommendations on Counterterrorism
    May 21, 2013
    On May 23, 2013, US President Barack Obama will give a speech at the National Defense University on counterterrorism policy. Human Rights Watch has long reported on US counterterrorism policy, and has recently made a number of recommendations that address issues on the president’s agenda.
  • US: Statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the AUMF, Targeted Killing, & Guantanamo
    May 16, 2013
    On May 16, 2013, the US Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing entitled “The Law of Armed Conflict, the Use of Military Force, and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force”. Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, gave the following testimony before the committee.
  • US: Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on "Targeted Killing"
    Apr 23, 2013
    On April 23, 2013, the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights held a hearing entitled “Drone Wars: The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing”. Letta Tayler, Senior Researcher in the Terrorism/Counterterrorism Division submitted the following testimony for the record.
  • Joint Letter to President Obama on US Drone Strikes and Targeted Killings
    Apr 11, 2013
    We write to convey a statement of shared concerns regarding US targeted killing policy. Our statement, attached, urges the administration to take essential steps to: publicly disclose key targeted killing standards and criteria; ensure that US lethal force operations abroad comply with international law; enable meaningful congressional oversight and judicial review; and ensure effective investigations, tracking and response to civilian harm.
  • US: Move Drone Strike Program to Military
    Mar 21, 2013
    A reported plan to transfer the United States targeted killing program from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Defense Department could improve transparency and accountability, though a number of other concerns with the program would remain.
  • What Rules Should Govern US Drone Attacks?
    Mar 11, 2013
  • Israel: Gaza Airstrikes Violated Laws of War
    Feb 12, 2013
    At least 18 Israeli airstrikes during the fighting in Gaza in November 2012 were in apparent violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today after a detailed investigation into the attacks. These airstrikes killed at least 44 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children.
  • Anatomy of an Air Attack Gone Wrong
    Dec 26, 2012
    The villagers who rushed to the road, cutting through rocky fields in central Yemen, found the dead strewn around a burning sport utility vehicle. The bodies were dusted with white powder -- flour and sugar, the witnesses said -- that the victims were bringing home from market when the aircraft attacked. A torched woman clutched her daughter in a lifeless embrace. Four severed heads littered the pavement.
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