I am on the Kill List. This is what it feels like to be hunted by drones

Friends decline my invitations and I have taken to sleeping outside under the trees, to avoid becoming a magnet of death for my family

Malik Jalal

I am in the strange position of knowing that I am on the ‘Kill List’. I know this because I have been told, and I know because I have been targeted for death over and over again. Four times missiles have been fired at me. I am extraordinarily fortunate to be alive.

I don’t want to end up a “Bugsplat” – the ugly word that is used for what remains of a human being after being blown up by a Hellfire missile fired from a Predator drone. More importantly, I don’t want my family to become victims, or even to live with the droning engines overhead, knowing that at any moment they could be vaporized.

I am in England this week because I decided that if Westerners wanted to kill me without bothering to come to speak with me first, perhaps I should come to speak to them instead. I’ll tell my story so that you can judge for yourselves whether I am the kind of person you want to be murdered.

I am from Waziristan, the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I am one of the leaders of the North Waziristan Peace Committee (NWPC), which is a body of local Maliks (or community leaders) that is devoted to trying to keep the peace in our region. We are sanctioned by the Pakistan government, and our main mission is to try to prevent violence between the local Taliban and the authorities.

In January 2010, I lent my vehicle to my nephew, Salimullah, to drive to Deegan for an oil change and to have one of the tires checked. Rumours had surfaced that drones were targeting particular vehicles, and tracking particular phone signals. The sky was clear and there were drones circling overhead.

As Salimullah conversed with the mechanic, a second vehicle pulled up next to mine. There were four men inside, just local chromite miners. A missile destroyed both vehicles, killed all four men, and seriously injured Salimullah, who spent the next 31 days in hospital.

Upon reflection, because the drones target the vehicles of people they want to kill in Waziristan, I was worried that they were aiming for me.

The next attack came on 3 September 2010. That day, I was driving a red Toyota Hilux Surf SUV to a ‘Jirga’, a community meeting of elders. Another red vehicle, almost identical to mine, was some 40 meters behind. When we reached Khader Khel, a missile blew up the other vehicle, killing all four occupants. I sped away, with flames and debris in my rear view mirror.

Initially I thought the vehicle behind was perhaps being used by militants, and I just happened to be nearby. But I learned later the casualties were four local laborers from the Mada Khel tribe, none of whom had any ties to militant groups. Now it seemed more likely that I was the target.

The third drone strike came on 6 October 2010. My friend Salim Khan invited me to dinner. I used my phone to call Salim to announce my arrival, and just before I got there a missile struck, instantly killing three people, including my cousin, Kaleem Ullah, a married man with children, and a mentally handicapped man. Again, none of the casualties were involved in extremism.

Now I knew for certain it was me they were after.

Five months later, on 27 March 2011, an American missile targeted a Jirga, where local Maliks – all friends and associates of mine – were working to resolve a local dispute and bring peace. Some 40 civilians died that day, all innocent, and some of them fellow members of the NWPC. I was early to the scene of this horror.

Like others that day, I said some things I regret. I was angry, and I said we would get our revenge. But, in truth, how would we ever do such a thing? Our true frustration was that we – the elders of our villages – are now powerless to protect our people.

I have been warned that Americans and their allies had me and others from the Peace Committee on their Kill List. I cannot name my sources, as they would find themselves targeted for trying to save my life. But it leaves me in no doubt that I am one of the hunted.

I soon began to park any vehicle far from my destination, to avoid making it a target. My friends began to decline my invitations, afraid that dinner might be interrupted by a missile.

I took to the habit of sleeping under the trees, well above my home, to avoid acting as a magnet of death for my whole family. But one night my youngest son, Hilal (then aged six), followed me out to the mountainside. He said that he, too, feared the droning engines at night. I tried to comfort him. I said that drones wouldn’t target children, but Hilal refused to believe me. He said that missiles had often killed children. It was then that I knew that I could not let them go on living like this.

I know the Americans think me an opponent of their drone wars. They are right; I am. Singling out people to assassinate, and killing nine of our innocent children for each person they target, is a crime of unspeakable proportions. Their policy is as foolish as it is criminal, as it radicalises the very people we are trying to calm down.

I am aware that the Americans and their allies think the Peace Committee is a front, and that we are merely creating a safe space for the Pakistan Taliban. To this I say: you are wrong. You have never been to Waziristan, so how would you know?

The mantra that the West should not negotiate with “terrorists” is naive. There has hardly ever been a time when terrorists have been brought back into the fold of society without negotiation. Remember the IRA; once they tried to blow up your prime minister, and now they are in parliament. It is always better to talk than to kill.

I have travelled half way across the world because I want to resolve this dispute the way you teach: by using the law and the courts, not guns and explosives.

Ask me any question you wish, but judge me fairly – and please stop terrorizing my wife and children. And take me off that Kill List.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/i-am-on-the-us-kill-list-this-is-what-it-feels-like-to-be-hunted-by-drones-a6980141.html



Tell you what, if people were doing that to me and mine, I'd hate them with a passion and I'd be right to do so.

Tell him to complain to the SAS, they are the ones that "paint" the targets for destruction.

Who cares?

If anyone duz care what difference to him duz it make, NOT ANYTHING, just empty wordz.

clipped from the article > I know the Americans think me an opponent of their drone wars. They are right; I am. Singling out people to assassinate, and killing nine of our innocent children for each person they target, is a crime of unspeakable proportions. Their policy is as foolish as it is criminal, as it radicalises the very people we are trying to calm down.

This has always been a bone of contention to my strong disgust about collateral damage and the number of civilians that get caught in the cross-fire and die/severely wounded/maimed for life...

Our troops {boots on the ground} vs Drone Warfare...no easy answers and as with all of the other occasions when we {USA} have deployed our huge aircraft {bombers} there are so many innocent humans that die from Friendly Fire; how to counteract terrorism without DRONE WARFARE ???    I just do not know

4EVER2 wrote:

clipped from the article > I know the Americans think me an opponent of their drone wars. They are right; I am. Singling out people to assassinate, and killing nine of our innocent children for each person they target, is a crime of unspeakable proportions. Their policy is as foolish as it is criminal, as it radicalises the very people we are trying to calm down.

This has always been a bone of contention to my strong disgust about collateral damage and the number of civilians that get caught in the cross-fire and die/severely wounded/maimed for life...

Our troops {boots on the ground} vs Drone Warfare...no easy answers and as with all of the other occasions when we {USA} have deployed our huge aircraft {bombers} there are so many innocent humans that die from Friendly Fire; how to counteract terrorism without DRONE WARFARE ???    I just do not know

That is why people like you are not consulted on conflicts.
Well singling out one terrorism that may cause the deaths sadly of 9 innocent people as collateral damage
Or allow that one terrorist to live you then causes the innocent deaths of thousands through more terrorist attacks..?

Its a no brainer and its not a criminal attack either when taking out a military target where that necessity outweighs all risks

didge wrote:

4EVER2 wrote:
This has always been a bone of contention to my strong disgust about collateral damage and the number of civilians that get caught in the cross-fire and die/severely wounded/maimed for life...

Our troops {boots on the ground} vs Drone Warfare...no easy answers and as with all of the other occasions when we {USA} have deployed our huge aircraft {bombers} there are so many innocent humans that die from Friendly Fire; how to counteract terrorism without DRONE WARFARE ???    I just do not know

That is why people like you are not consulted on conflicts.
Well singling out one terrorism that may cause the deaths sadly of 9 innocent people as collateral damage
Or allow that one terrorist to live you then causes the innocent deaths of thousands through more terrorist attacks..?

Its a no brainer and its not a criminal attack either when taking out a military target where that necessity outweighs all risks

And that OPINION is why: 'people like you' need not be left alone with military type decisions; the lack of empathy and consideration of the COLLATERAL damage put upon the civilians in any given scenario is never forefront of 'people like you' to worry about!

Once humanity stoops to the level and disregard for human life, we become what we hate about the TERRORIST MIND SET! 

But if you thought those terrorist were going to force all of those humans into mandatory BURKA wearing hoards --- then you'd be all up on your high horse   

4EVER2 wrote:

didge wrote:
That is why people like you are not consulted on conflicts.
Well singling out one terrorism that may cause the deaths sadly of 9 innocent people as collateral damage
Or allow that one terrorist to live you then causes the innocent deaths of thousands through more terrorist attacks..?

Its a no brainer and its not a criminal attack either when taking out a military target where that necessity outweighs all risks

And that OPINION is why: 'people like you' need not be left alone with military type decisions; the lack of empathy and consideration of the COLLATERAL damage put upon the civilians in any given scenario is never forefront of 'people like you' to worry about!

Once humanity stoops to the level and disregard for human life, we become what we hate about the TERRORIST MIND SET! 

But if you thought those terrorist were going to force all of those humans into mandatory BURKA wearing hoards --- then you'd be all up on your high horse   

So yet more infertile accusations and zero to counter my points

How predictable

It seems everytime I make your views look idiotic all you can do is come back with gibberish

As to your nonsense of stooping to the mind level of terrorists, the you still escapes the point.

We try to minimize the loss of innocent life, whereas terrorist try to maximize the loss off innocent life

Try to engage that brain of yours for once

This man IS NOT a terrorist I am one of the leaders of the North Waziristan Peace Committee (NWPC), which is a body of local Maliks (or community leaders) that is devoted to trying to keep the peace in our region. and yet some seem to think it's ok he's on a kill list and his family have been killed around him, he darenet ever sleep near them now.  Anyone trying to justify this is sick to their soul AND PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSES TORRORISM.

sassy wrote:This man IS NOT a terrorist I am one of the leaders of the North Waziristan Peace Committee (NWPC), which is a body of local Maliks (or community leaders) that is devoted to trying to keep the peace in our region. and yet some seem to think it's ok he's on a kill list and his family have been killed around him, he darenet ever sleep near them now.  Anyone trying to justify this is sick to their soul AND PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSES TORRORISM.

So he claims, clearly there is a reason he is targeted,

Most from that region are Taliban and have butchered children

I am in England this week because I decided that if Westerners wanted to kill me without bothering to come to speak with me first, perhaps I should come to speak to them instead. I’ll tell my story so that you can judge for yourselves whether I am the kind of person you want to be murdered.

sassy wrote:I am in England this week because I decided that if Westerners wanted to kill me without bothering to come to speak with me first, perhaps I should come to speak to them instead. I’ll tell my story so that you can judge for yourselves whether I am the kind of person you want to be murdered.

Again so what, that does not prove anything.

Like I say there is so much corruption and support for the Taliban in Pakistan, who are also fund money to terrorism

I am aware that the Americans and their allies think the Peace Committee is a front, and that we are merely creating a safe space for the Pakistan Taliban. To this I say: you are wrong. You have never been to Waziristan, so how would you know?


I wonder why they think that ? 

Bollocks, utter crap.  The USA are not at war with Pakistan, this Peace is authorised by the Pakistan Government, but the USA thinks it can go round willy nilly killing anyone they feel like, and even they admit the number of civilians they have killed is huge.  And they wonder why a lot of people think that THEY are the biggest terrorist organisation on the planet, killing more civilians every year than all the others put together.

Odd, that was to Didge and his post has disappeared, I wonder why.

sassy wrote:Bollocks, utter crap.  The USA are not at war with Pakistan, this Peace is authorised by the Pakistan Government, but the USA thinks it can go round willy nilly killing anyone they feel like, and even they admit the number of civilians they have killed is huge.  And they wonder why a lot of people think that THEY are the biggest terrorist organisation on the planet, killing more civilians every year than all the others put together.

Odd, that was to Didge and his post has disappeared, I wonder why.

You have heard of the war on terror have you not?
Its ongoing and again the taliban have a blood lust for butchering children
You care more about the plight of this one man, who there is no evidence to dispute he is not a terrorist, than the constant terrorist victims in Pakistan. You would rather defend terrorists, than have them, taken out and save thus thousands of innocent lies at the terrorist attacks of the taliban.
The tries and test method of sitting back has failed, it saw half a million die in Syria

sassy wrote:This man IS NOT a terrorist I am one of the leaders of the North Waziristan Peace Committee (NWPC), which is a body of local Maliks (or community leaders) that is devoted to trying to keep the peace in our region. and yet some seem to think it's ok he's on a kill list and his family have been killed around him, he darenet ever sleep near them now.  Anyone trying to justify this is sick to their soul AND PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSES TORRORISM.

Never mind trying to explain the difference to Didgy-doo about a Regular Civilian vs a unknown/maybe/perhaps but we're not quite sure terrorist...he won't care unless the issue is about a female restricted male dominated issue! 

His humanitarian/empathy only has one value system --- it's gotta be about a repressed female before he's gets 'IT'! 

4EVER2 wrote:

sassy wrote:This man IS NOT a terrorist I am one of the leaders of the North Waziristan Peace Committee (NWPC), which is a body of local Maliks (or community leaders) that is devoted to trying to keep the peace in our region. and yet some seem to think it's ok he's on a kill list and his family have been killed around him, he darenet ever sleep near them now.  Anyone trying to justify this is sick to their soul AND PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSES TORRORISM.

Never mind trying to explain the difference to Didgy-doo about a Regular Civilian vs a unknown/maybe/perhaps but we're not quite sure terrorist...he won't care unless the issue is about a female restricted male dominated issue! 

His humanitarian/empathy only has one value system --- it's gotta be about a repressed female before he's gets 'IT'! 

Oh wow another post talking about me.

To then make further unfounded accusations

Your stance would allow terrorists to continue murdering thousands

My stance takes out the terrorists with minimum collateral damage

Sorry did you say ethical

[quote="sassy"]

[i]Didge[/i] wrote:The fact is it has been western policy that has driven the increase in the rise of Muslims driven to extremism, where again to a Muslim a drone attack that kills civilians would also be seen as terrorism, as I am sure if you had drone attacks here to oust terrorists, that killed civilians you would be saying the same thing and as seen many people do not have a problem with civilians being killed to get terrorists. It has been concluded that the whole Iraq war has driven extremism in this country but you are not even concerned over that, you wish to promote an absurd view over Islam, 

Yes i was wrong once, what does that say about how wrong i once was

Glad you could show again how I am able to admit I was once wrong

How desperate is that from sassy

I love it when Sassy and Irn do this, it shows they are left with nothing to counter my points and think showing where my views have changed is the only thing they have let to play in desperation to try to deligitimize me

Thanks to you both, it shows I was once regressive, as you both are, but I have opened my eyes

Simply shows you used to be part of the solution, now you are part of the problem and a Sam Harris sheep.

sassy wrote:Simply shows you used to be part of the solution, now you are part of the problem and a Sam Harris sheep.

Actually it was Victor that helped open my eyes, not Sam harris

Like I say you are a regressive and fail to see and what you defend

I am all for progressive and secularist Muslims.

I though have seen both arguments on terrorism, conflict etc and the leftist ones are full of flaws

You're regressive Didge, and you have regressed just about as far back as possible.

Lack of empathy and consideration of the COLLATERAL damage does not have a place in a war zone, you are there to WIN, FULL STOP.

Wussiz and pussiz are a waste of breath.

sassy wrote:You're regressive Didge, and you have regressed just about as far back as possible.

This is all you can do sassy, you can never even come close to debating me with anything of intelligence
So you post about me or try to deligitimize, which I take as a complement, as you are certainly not match for me
Your world would have us all under islamism by now, as you care more for Muslims,w hen you should care equally for everyone

It's NOT A WAR ZONE PILLOCK, USA IS NOT AT WAR WITH PAKISTAN.  Thick as TWO planks.

sassy wrote:It's NOT A WAR ZONE PILLOCK, USA IS NOT AT WAR WITH PAKISTAN.  Thick as TWO planks.

It is at war with terrorism, which the Pakistan government assists with

What's to debate.  USA kills more than anyone else does, USA is killing people in a country they are not at war with, and then USA wonder why people take up arms against them.  Anyone with half a brain could work that out.

didge wrote:

sassy wrote:It's NOT A WAR ZONE PILLOCK, USA IS NOT AT WAR WITH PAKISTAN.  Thick as TWO planks.

It is at war with terrorism, which the Pakistan government assists with

And the PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT have licenced these people to help the peace effort, so USA don't give a toss about killing people that the Government of the country are working with for PEACE.

didge wrote:

sassy wrote:It's NOT A WAR ZONE PILLOCK, USA IS NOT AT WAR WITH PAKISTAN.  Thick as TWO planks.

It is at war with terrorism, which the Pakistan government assists with

That was to Stormee, but applies to you as well.

sassy wrote:

didge wrote:


It is at war with terrorism, which the Pakistan government assists with

And the PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT have licenced these people to help the peace effort, so USA don't give a toss about killing people that the Government of the country are working with for PEACE.

Well the US are not buying he is innocent

The US do give a toss as they tried to minimize casualties

This is evident in the Iraq wars 
. Far more were killed by sectarian violence than the war itself

People like you have no understanding of war.

With your belief disproportional action, you would deem Americas action into WW2 against Germany as disproportionate

Its not based on fatality numbers

sassy wrote:

didge wrote:


It is at war with terrorism, which the Pakistan government assists with

That was to Stormee, but applies to you as well.

It applies to you that you need to understand we are at war with terror

There's a lot of people the US don't think are innocent and it turns out they are.

sassy wrote:There's a lot of people the US don't think are innocent and it turns out they are.

hearsay

Fact

sassy wrote:Fact

As seen you fail to even understand what a fact is

You are more against the western people you live with and more behind those who want to destroy our way of life

That says it all really

you can be pulled into the National Security Agency’s database quietly and quickly, and the consequences can be long and enduring. Through ICREACH, a Google-style search engine created for the intelligence community, the NSA provides data on private communications to 23 government agencies. More than 1,000 analysts had access to that information.

This kind of data sharing, however, isn’t limited to the latest from Edward Snowden’s NSA files. It was confirmed earlier this month that the FBI shares its master watchlist, the Terrorist Screening Database, with at least 22 foreign governments, countless federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, plus private contractors.

The watchlist tracks “known” and “suspected” terrorists and includes both foreigners and Americans. It’s also based on loose standards and secret evidence, which ensnares innocent people. Indeed, the standards are so low that the US government’s guidelines specifically allow for a single, uncorroborated source of information – including a Facebook or Twitter post – to serve as the basis for placing you on its master watchlist.

Of the 680,000 individuals on that FBI master list, roughly 40% have “no recognized terrorist group affiliation”, according to the Intercept. These individuals don’t even have a connection – as the government loosely defines it – to a designated terrorist group, but they are still branded as suspected terrorists.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/30/terrorist-watch-list-rules-innocent-people

One at random.

How about all the people it tortured in Guatanamo and then said they were innocent?

didge wrote:

sassy wrote:Fact

As seen you fail to even understand what a fact is

You are more against the western people you live with and more behind those who want to destroy our way of life

That says it all really

Don't be fucking ridiculous,  I want to stop making terrorists by the disgusting way anyone not american and white are treated.

The guardian?

That leftist hatefilled paper is a joke as seen

https://ukmediawatch.org/2016/04/13/guardian-admits-that-israel-related-articles-generate-highest-level-of-abusive-comments/

You Didge, and your views, are the reason we have so much terror.   Until regressives twits like you stop think that you rule the world and have the right to go into other countries and creat mayhem so that they react, we will never have peace.  You are the problem.

sassy wrote:

didge wrote:



As seen you fail to even understand what a fact is

You are more against the western people you live with and more behind those who want to destroy our way of life

That says it all really

Don't be fucking ridiculous,  I want to stop making terrorists by the disgusting way anyone not american and white are treated.

By constantly defending terrorists and poor islamic beliefs that are counted to the well being and equality of everyone.

You fail to see islamic terrorism has been around way longer than any western intervention

You fail to understand also the beliefs

The biggest terrorist in the world, who kills the most innocent people, and has done for bloody years, is the USA, the UK and France.

sassy wrote:You Didge, and your views, are the reason we have so much terror.   Until regressives twits like you stop think that you rule the world and have the right to go into other countries and creat mayhem so that they react, we will never have peace.  You are the problem.

Incorrect, as I have asked you so many times,
How can an ordinary Muslim in the Uk with no other ties to Syria, forgo any his way of life to then travel there and think its acceptable to rape and enslave girls and butcher people.
There is only one main factor

Islam

sassy wrote:The biggest terrorist in the world, who kills the most innocent people, and has done for bloody year, is the USA, the UK and France.

See you defend eastern people against your own people by making up falsehoods and listening to other lefties regressive idiots
All these nations will try to minimize civilian casualties

Do you see that with Middle eastern nations at war

Not by half a chance, the only one that does Is Israel, who goes above and beyond to warn civillians

How simplistic you are.  ISIS are not Islam, they drink, smoke and take drugs,  They criminals, in fact most of them have criminal records.  If there was a Leader of Islam, and there isn't, Islam doesn't have a Leader, he or she would excommunicate them.

98% of Muslims hate them, and that's BILLIONS of people, and the people they kill the most are Muslim, because they are simply criminals.

didge wrote:

sassy wrote:The biggest terrorist in the world, who kills the most innocent people, and has done for bloody year, is the USA, the UK and France.

See you defend eastern people against your own people by making up falsehoods and listening to other lefties regressive idiots
All these nations will try to minimize civilian casualties

Do you see that with Middle eastern nations at war

Not by half a chance, the only one that does Is Israel, who goes above and beyond to warn civillians

There is nothing false about that, it's fact.  Suggest you do some research and use the brain cell for once.

sassy wrote:How simplistic you are.  ISIS are not Islam, they drink, smoke and take drugs,  They criminals, in fact most of them have criminal records.  If there was a Leader of Islam, and there isn't, Islam doesn't have a Leader, he or she would excommunicate them.

98% of Muslims hate them, and that's BILLIONS of people, and the people they kill the most are Muslim, because they are simply criminals.

Isis use the most literal view of Islamic doctrine

To say they are not Islamic is absurd, when their doctrines are all Islamic text
The fact is you do not want to open your eyes and understand armed jihad, martyrdom, transgressions etc, who they class then as guilty which then allows for them to believe to kill innocent people
ISIS would not exist without Islam

That is a fact

sassy wrote:

didge wrote:


See you defend eastern people against your own people by making up falsehoods and listening to other lefties regressive idiots
All these nations will try to minimize civilian casualties

Do you see that with Middle eastern nations at war

Not by half a chance, the only one that does Is Israel, who goes above and beyond to warn civillians

There is nothing false about that, it's fact.  Suggest you do some research and use the brain cell for once.

Which shows again you do not understand armed conflict, international law and the Geneva convention, of which many of the Middle eastern nations simply ignore and abuse
You are 100% clueless and brainwashed

You are so ignorant and simplistic and bigotted and brainwashed it's sick making. 

Talk to someone who know nothing and doesn't know everything you say is utter crap, you might get somewhere then.

Now I'm going to talk to decent people, not the dregs.

sassy wrote:You are so ignorant and simplistic and bigotted and brainwashed it's sick making. 

Talk to someone who know nothing and doesn't know everything you say is utter crap, you might get somewhere then.

Now I'm going to talk to decent people, not the dregs.

So nothing to counter my points just claim to say I am wrong

Then you call people who disagree with you as if inferior with derogative language

All terminology formed around racism and eltism

didge wrote:

sassy wrote:

didge wrote:


See you defend eastern people against your own people by making up falsehoods and listening to other lefties regressive idiots
All these nations will try to minimize civilian casualties

Do you see that with Middle eastern nations at war

Not by half a chance, the only one that does Is Israel, who goes above and beyond to warn civillians

There is nothing false about that, it's fact.  Suggest you do some research and use the brain cell for once.

Which shows again you do not understand armed conflict, international law and the Geneva convention, of which many of the Middle eastern nations simply ignore and abuse
You are 100% clueless and brainwashed

funny how it doesn't apply to Isreal or the UK in any of your opinons however