Drone Strikes in Pakistan Last Week

By Dan Gettinger and Arthur Holland Michel Between October 5 and October 11, the United States launched eight reported drone strikes in Pakistan. The strikes took place in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); four in the Shawal Valley that borders the regions of North and South Waziristan, three in …

Interview: Tomas van Houtryve

Tomas van Houtryve is a prolific photojournalist who explores conflict and state-sponsored surveillance. In March, Harpers Magazine published a folio of his photographs titled “Blue Sky Days,” the longest folio in the magazine’s 164 year history. The photos, which van Houtryve took with a small drone over everyday spaces and scenes in …

What Do Bush Officials Have to Say About Drones?

By Zachary Israel Officials who served in George Bush’s administration have been both critical and supportive of President Obama’s use of drones for targeted killing in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The Bush administration was subjected to much criticism and controversy over its use of indefinite detention, extraordinary rendition and torture …

White House Debating American Target

By Dan Gettinger On February 10, the Associated Press reported that the Obama administration is considering targeting an American citizen with a drone. According to unnamed government sources, the target, whose identity remains a mystery, is a member of al-Qaeda and is “actively planning attacks against Americans overseas.” In a …