How to unpack the Tsarnaevs’ real motives

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:31:00 +0000

What motivated the Boston bombers? That’s the question on everyone’s minds, in the face of a new report suggesting that suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left a note in his boat attributing his alleged actions to retribution for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ultimately the debate has come down to this: Is anti-American terrorism and violence a result of anger at U.S. foreign policy, as former Salon writer Glenn Greenwald and others claim? Or does it result from religious extremism, as blogger Andrew Sullivan argues?

The answer is: both. The two are entangled. First, it must be noted that Islamists are hardly the only people in the world angry at American actions in the world. Consider that Russians have nearly as unfavorable a view of Obama’s international policies, as well as the U.S. overall, as do people in Muslim countries. Greeks disapprove of U.S. drone strikes more than anyone else in the world, including Muslim-strong countries such as Jordanians, Egyptians, Lebanese and Tunisians.

U.N. team to investigate civilian drone deaths

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:40:00 +0000

The United Nations plans to set up a special investigation unit in early 2013 to look at incidents of civilian death in U.S. drone strikes. Speaking Thursday at Harvard Law School, U.N. special rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC, who monitors counter-terrorism programs, announced plans for the investigative team, which will be based in Geneva. According to the UK's Bureau of Investigative Journalism, "U.N. investigators have been critical of U.S. ‘extrajudicial executions’ since they began in 2002. The new Geneva-based unit will also look at the legality of the program."

Emmerson said in his Harvard announcement, "If the relevant states are not willing to establish effective independent monitoring mechanisms … then it may in the last resort be necessary for the U.N. to act." He noted:

Salon.com > Drone stikes

How to unpack the Tsarnaevs’ real motives

U.N. team to investigate civilian drone deaths