US drone operator calls killing of 1600 people ‘a mistake’

News, US January 23, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Former US drone operator Brandon Bryant, who was involved in the killing of more than 1600 people, says aerial strikes are conducted with complete uncertainty.

Bryant, who worked for almost five years in America’s secret drone program bombing targets in Afghanistan and other countries, such as Pakistan and Iraq, said operators lacked visibility and were not sure about the identity of the people they were shooting at.

“We see silhouette, shadows of people, and we kill those shadows,” said Bryant.

“There was no oversight,” said the operator. “I just know that the inside of the entire program was diseased and people need to know what happens to those that were on the inside.”

Bryant, who left his job in 2011, apologized to the families of the US drone victims whose deaths he was responsible for, citing that he “couldn’t stand” himself for the killings.

“I’m sorry that the mistake happened. I’m doing everything that I can to prevent further mistakes from happening,” he said.

Since 2001, the US has been carrying out drone attacks in several countries, including Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia. It insists that the targets of the drone attacks are militants.

Local officials and witnesses however say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.

Data released by human rights group Reprieve, that was published last November, indicated that attempts to kill 41 targeted individuals across Pakistan and Yemen resulted in the killing of at least 1,147 people.

SB/GJH