The recent airstrikes carried out by the United States against the alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific drew sharp criticism from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. On Friday 31st of October he said “they violate international human rights law” and must stop immediately. More than 60 people have reportedly been killed in the continuing series of attacks since early September. Mr. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner to the United Nation Human Right Commission (UNHRC) said in a statement, “in circumstances that find no justification in international law,”
U.S. authorities have announced a total of thirteen air strikes, which are known publicly, around Latin America so far. Out of these with in the Caribbean and five in the Pacific. The Trump administration tried to justify these inhuman actions by claiming, without presenting any evidence, that the targets were drug-smuggling “narco-terrorists.” Just saying that the operations are as part of its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and terrorism, asserting that they fall within the framework of international humanitarian law, do not justify the inhumane actions. for some ulterior motive.
Daniel Noroña, Amnesty International USA’s Advocacy Director for the Americas said, “The laws of war simply do not apply here. The Caribbean and eastern Pacific are not war-zones where the U.S. military can bomb boats the White House claims carry enemies,” and also “Deploying the army on alleged law enforcement grounds is an old and failed trick of the authoritarian playbook that has repeatedly led to serious human rights violations in Latin America. These air strikes also send a chilling message of tacit approval to other leaders seeking to extrajudicially execute people.” The Amnesty international also urged the Congress to intervene and stop this arbitrary actions of the US Authorities.
Mr. Turk also said, “Based on the very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to the lives of others or otherwise justified the use of lethal armed force against them under international law,”. The High Commissioner further called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations into the reported attacks by the US. He also added that the United States should investigate and, if is necessary, prosecute and punish the individuals accused of serious crimes in accordance with the fundamental rule-of-law, principles of due process and fair trial, for which the US has long stood.
Recently the UN Assistant Secretary-General, Miroslav Jenca, emphasised that all efforts to counter the drug trafficking must be carried out in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter, and that any use of force in countering illicit trafficking must respect human rights standards.
It is also very pertinent to understand here that US has always cared for its own interest only. Be it Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yamen, Lebanon, Guatemala, Cuba, Congo, Somalia, Sudan and very recent ones, that is of Bangladesh and Nepal. If it needs natural resources of another country or want a favorable Government, I does, it has its cards everywhere.
