The American raid that caused the death of powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and a chief of the Iraqi paramilitary movement Hachd al-Chaa, mainly pro-Iranian, Abu Mehdi al-Mouhandis, on Friday is probably “a violation of international law”, said the UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, Agnès Callamard.
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“Legal justifications for such assassinations are very narrowly defined and it is difficult to imagine how any of them can apply to these assassinations,” she said on Twitter on Friday.
Callamard says the use of drones is almost never likely to be legal outside the context of active hostilities, and that to be justified under international human rights law, lethal force cannot be used only to protect itself from an imminent threat to life.
The strike, carried out by an American drone near Baghdad International Airport, was ordered by President Donald Trump after an attack on Hashd al-Chaabi on Tuesday against the United States Embassy in Baghdad.
“An individual’s past involvement in” terrorist attacks “is not enough to make his targeting lawful” and “cause his death,” said the UN special rapporteur.
Callamard also believes that lack of control was another problem with regard to targeted killings abroad. “Executives decide who can be killed outside of due process. Without the approval of parliaments, “she said.
She also criticized the “very vague” nature of the Pentagon press release announcing this operation – and indicating that it was carried out on the orders of Mr. Trump – without mentioning the other person killed in the attack, next to General Soleimani .
Washington sends 3,000 to 3,500 more soldiers to the Middle East
The United States has decided to deploy 3,000 to 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East to strengthen the security of US positions in the region after the death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday in an American raid, the Pentagon announced.
These soldiers are members of a rapid reaction force of the 82nd Airborne Division, who were put on alert immediately after the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense in a press release.
“This brigade will be deployed to Kuwait, an appropriate and preventive measure in response to the increased level of threat against American forces and facilities,” said the spokesman.
In a press briefing on Thursday, the US chief of staff, General Mark Milley, warned that more reinforcements could be dispatched as needed.
In addition to the 750 soldiers sent to Kuwait immediately after the attack on the embassy on Tuesday, “the president approved the deployment of the rapid force and a battalion of operational forces from the 82nd Airborne Division,” said General Milley.
“We have put other forces on alert. It has not yet been decided to deploy them, but there is a whole range of forces that are on alert and ready, depending on how the situation evolves, “he added.
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