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For a start, the drone strikes are at least claimed to be against strategic targets and not just indiscriminate killing of civilians. That's something that can'

For a start, the drone strikes are at least claimed to be against strategic targets and not just indiscriminate killing of civilians. That's something that can't be said for the likes of the Brussels attacks.

_delirium 10y ago
That's true for some, but not all things usually classified as terrorism. For example the IRA bomb aimed at Margaret Thatcher, with other people being collateral damage, was considered a terrorist attack at the time, even though its goal wasn't to indiscriminately kill civilians. The Greek group 17 November is another example, which exclusively carried out targeted assassinations (their first success was killing the Athens CIA station chief). The term is a bit fuzzy, though, so quite a few different kinds of attacks get grouped under it depending when and who we're talking about.
- semi-extrinsic 10y ago
  It's only terrorism when "they" do it. That's basically the working definition. Same goes with war crimes; cf. the U.S. attack on the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, 2015. No matter what the facts are in that case, the U.S. is never going to admit responsibility for a war crime. Blaming the pilots for "human error", no consequences for any commanding officers, is the path they will take.
Jtsummers 10y ago
The Brussels attacks had no specific individuals being targeted. Drone strikes that hit civilians and a specific target are sloppy assassinations, and terrorism.
ybrah 10y ago
One can argue that the civilians killed at the Brussels terror attacks are actually strategic targets for the terror groups.
calgoo 10y ago
To the terrorists the big public places are also strategic targets. They are the underdog so to make the most noise they involve a lot of civilians.
nekomancer 10y ago
The Brussels atttacks were against strategic targets though. As for the indiscriminate killing of civilians, what else would you call the example from the article? > in Pakistan, in attempts to take out 41 men, American drones actually killed an estimated 1,147 people (while not all of the 41 targeted figures even died).
kuschku 10y ago
Well, one of the Brussels attacks happened right next to the some of the EU buildings – that’s more targeted than most drone strikes.

_delirium 10y ago

That's true for some, but not all things usually classified as terrorism. For example the IRA bomb aimed at Margaret Thatcher, with other people being collateral damage, was considered a terrorist attack at the time, even though its goal wasn't to indiscriminately kill civilians. The Greek group 17 November is another example, which exclusively carried out targeted assassinations (their first success was killing the Athens CIA station chief). The term is a bit fuzzy, though, so quite a few different kinds of attacks get grouped under it depending when and who we're talking about.

semi-extrinsic 10y ago
It's only terrorism when "they" do it. That's basically the working definition. Same goes with war crimes; cf. the U.S. attack on the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, 2015. No matter what the facts are in that case, the U.S. is never going to admit responsibility for a war crime. Blaming the pilots for "human error", no consequences for any commanding officers, is the path they will take.

Jtsummers 10y ago

The Brussels attacks had no specific individuals being targeted. Drone strikes that hit civilians and a specific target are sloppy assassinations, and terrorism.

ybrah 10y ago

One can argue that the civilians killed at the Brussels terror attacks are actually strategic targets for the terror groups.

calgoo 10y ago

To the terrorists the big public places are also strategic targets. They are the underdog so to make the most noise they involve a lot of civilians.

nekomancer 10y ago

The Brussels atttacks were against strategic targets though. As for the indiscriminate killing of civilians, what else would you call the example from the article? > in Pakistan, in attempts to take out 41 men, American drones actually killed an estimated 1,147 people (while not all of the 41 targeted figures even died).

kuschku 10y ago

Well, one of the Brussels attacks happened right next to the some of the EU buildings – that’s more targeted than most drone strikes.