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UN chief: Drone strikes must comply with law
The head of the United Nations said on Tuesday during a visit to Pakistan that drone strikes must comply with international law, touching on an issue that has created friction between Islamabad and Washington
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he head of the United Nations said on Tuesday during avisit to Pakistan that drone strikes must comply with international law,touching on an issue that has created friction between Islamabad andWashington.
Ban Ki-moon did not specifically mention whether or not he thought US strikes in Pakistan were in compliance. But a UN official investigating the impact of drones, Ben Emmerson, said in March that the attacks contravene international law because they violate Pakistan's sovereignty.
'As I have often and consistently said, the use of armed drones, like any other weapon, should be subject to long-standing rules of international law, including international humanitarian law,' Ban said at a university in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. 'Every effort should be made to avoid mistakes and civilian casualties.'
President Barack Obama said during a speech in May in which he defended the drone program that the strikes comply with both US and international law.
