Saturday, October 22, 2011
Predator drone firing a Hellfire missile
For a conflict that’s involved more unmanned aerial attacks by the United States than the American onslaught in Pakistan this year, the “war” in Libya sure seems to be just that, regardless of what the White House has said.
Since the U.S. got involved in the effort to topple Muammar Gaddafi six months ago, Predator drones have launched at least 145 strikes in Libya, including against Muammar Gaddafi’s convoy as he attempted to flee on Thursday.
This total is more than twice the number of drone strikes in 2011 so far in Pakistan (57), which is supposed to be “central locale for the U.S. drone war,” according to Spencer Ackerman, writing in Wired.
America’s unmanned attacks in Libya also are more than 2010’s total of 117 drone strikes in Pakistan, which is the highest yearly figure for the war in that country.
Predators continued to launch Hellfire missiles after Tripoli fell to rebels in late August. Before that event, U.S. drones had used 92 Hellfires over four months. Since late August Predators have used another 52 missiles.
As of September 30, the U.S. had spent $1.1 billion on the Libyan war.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Libya: The Real U.S. Drone War (by Spencer Ackerman, Wired)
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