United Nations warns U.S. airstrikes may be crimes against humanity

A United Nations report suggests that recent United States airstrikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels may constitute crimes against humanity. According to UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul, at least 68 American strikes have been carried out in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans since September of last year, resulting in the deaths of more than 220 people.

The strikes are part of ‘Operation Southern Spear,’ an initiative launched by the U.S. military to eliminate ‘narco-terrorists’ from the hemisphere. While the U.S. Southern Command stated that intelligence confirmed the involvement of targeted vessels in drug trafficking, authorities have not yet presented definitive evidence of these activities.

Saul, in a report released by the UN Human Rights Council, characterized the strikes as a series of extrajudicial killings that violate the right to life. He argued that even if the individuals on the vessels belong to terrorist groups, they had not launched armed attacks against the U.S. that would justify the use of self-defense under international law. The report concludes there is no justification for these actions under international humanitarian law, the law of the sea, or anti-terrorism conventions.