The Study
US officials state that “civilians are rarely injured by drone strikes." However, according to the media and eyewitness accounts, actual casualty rates are much higher. According to Bergen and Braun, "since 2004, some 49 “militant leaders” have been killed in drone strikes, constituting “2% of all drone-related fatalities" meaning the majority of drone-related fatalities are not high targets. This low rate of reported civilian casualties likely due to the fact that according to the Obama Administration "All military-age males [killed] in a strike zone are combatants... unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent.” In essence, it is assumed that everyone that is killed in a drone strike is guilty until proven innocent. Not only this, but it is also extremely difficult to collect evidence after targets have been killed. The area is not always safe enough to investigate, and even if it were, the targets' corpses are most likely so destroyed beyond recognition that it is nearly impossible to identify anyone.
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