[00:03.03]From VOA Learning English,
[00:06.46]this is In the News.
[00:08.51]This week,
[00:09.79]two human rights groups accused
[00:12.97]the United States of killing more civilians
[00:16.57]in drone strikes than American officials say.
[00:21.08]The groups say many of the attacks
[00:24.03]appeared to be illegal under international law.
[00:29.15]Human Rights Watch investigated
[00:31.75]six drone strikes in Yemen since 2009.
[00:36.81]It found that at least 57 civilians died in the attacks.
[00:43.59]Letta Tayler studies terrorist acts
[00:46.95]and anti-terrorism efforts for the group.
[00:50.70]"Two of the six cases that we examined in my report
[00:54.13]show that the U.S. indiscriminately killed civilians.
[00:58.24]This is a clear violation of international law."
[01:01.50]The report says some drone strikes violated the rules
[01:06.06]set by President Obama to justify such attacks.
[01:10.86]The president has said the unmanned aircraft
[01:15.01]can be used when responding
[01:17.58]to an immediate threat to the United States.
[01:21.25]He also said they can be used
[01:24.32]when there is no hope of capturing a targeted terrorist,
[01:28.98]and "near certainty" that civilians will not be harmed.
[01:34.30]At the White House,
[01:36.51]Press Secretary Jay Carney rejected accusations
[01:40.32]that drone strikes violated international law.
[01:45.14]"To the extent these reports claim that the U.S.
[01:48.05]has acted contrary to international law,
[01:50.07]we would strongly disagree.
[01:51.92]The administration has repeatedly emphasized
[01:54.37]the extraordinary care that we take
[01:56.12]to make sure counterterrorism actions
[01:58.18]are in accordance with all applicable law."
[02:00.73]Amnesty International examined
[02:03.14]nine American drone attacks in Pakistan.
[02:06.94]It says it found evidence that more than 30 civilians
[02:12.36]were killed in four of the strikes.
[02:15.27]A United Nations report has estimated
[02:18.72]that drone strikes in Pakistan killed 400 civilians
[02:24.16]over the past 10 years.
[02:26.81]Both Amnesty and Human Rights Watch
[02:30.44]are calling for more congressional supervision of
[02:34.20]the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Department.
[02:38.96]The first American drone attack in Pakistan took place in 2004.
[02:46.02]Many observers believe there was a secret agreement
[02:50.03]in which Pakistan privately approved of drone strikes
[02:55.20]but publicly condemned them.
[02:57.87]Pakistani officials say they are strongly opposed to the attacks.
[03:04.29]They condemn them as a violation of their country's sovereignty
[03:09.05]– the right to be free from interference by another country.
[03:13.82]They also say the attacks are fueling militancy in Pakistan.
[03:20.70]North Waziristan has long been considered
[03:24.62]a center for al-Qaida militants and the Haqqani network.
[03:30.00]That group has been blamed
[03:32.90]for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan.
[03:37.28]The United States has long pressured the Pakistani military
[03:42.64]to move against extremists in North Waziristan.
[03:47.40]However, some officials believe
[03:49.95]that state control has almost disappeared in the territory.
[03:55.88]On Wednesday,
[03:57.78]President Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
[04:02.79]met at the White House.
[04:04.90]They discussed cooperation in fighting terrorism
[04:09.10]and concerns about what the president called
[04:12.62]"senseless violence and extremism" in Pakistan.
[04:17.88]Afterward they spoke to reporters.
[04:20.24]Prime Minister Sharif said the two countries
[04:23.79]will continue to increase cooperation against terrorists.
[04:29.42]But he also called for no more drone attacks.
[04:34.24]"Pakistan and the United States have a strong,
[04:37.25]ongoing counterterrorism cooperation.
[04:40.10]We have agreed to further strengthen this cooperation.
[04:42.61]I also brought up the issue of drones in our meeting,
[04:45.68]emphasizing the need for an end to such strikes."
[04:48.73]And that's In the News, from VOA Learning English.
[04:54.78]I'm Steve Ember.