Names of the Dead: Malik Daud Khan + 23 More

Dear Mr. President,

Eventually our sins come back to haunt us. Today’s NYT reports that a Milan Appeals Court ruled that a former CIA station chief, Jeffrey Castelli and 2 other American CIA agents, Betnie Medero and Ralph Russomando, did not have diplomatic immunity and convicted them in absentia for the 2003 abduction and rendition to torture of an Egyptian-born cleric, Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, on Feb. 17, 2003. Castelli was sentenced to 7 years in prison, the other two to 6 years. 23 other CIA agents had already been convicted and sentenced in absentia for their roles in the kidnapping. This was a Bush war crime but on March 17, 2011, two days after the CIA thug, Ray Davis, was released from jail after murdering 2 Pakistanis on the streets of Lahore, a drone strike killed 42 Pakistani civilians and wounded 14. The CIA still claims no civilians died in the attack. One U.S. official stated: “The fact is that a large group of heavily armed men, some of whom were clearly connected to Al Qaeda and all of whom acted in a manner consistent with A.Q.-linked militants, were killed.” The truth is that this was not a gathering of militants but an officially sanctioned jirga, tribal elders gathered to resolve a land dispute. The U.S, Ambassador tried to stop the attack but was overruled by the CIA and at least 5 Hellfire missiles were fired at the men gathered in two circles at the local bus depot. Local police and government officials also attended. Here’s the names of some of the civilians killed in that attack, taken from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism website: Malik Daud Khan, the leader of the jirga; Sharabat Khan, the leaseholder of the Chromite mine in dispute; Gul Akbar; Mohammad Sheen; Lewanai; Mir Zaman; Din Mohammad; Malik Tareen; Noor Ali; Zare Jan; Sadiq; Mustaqeem; Khangai; Gulnaware; Faenda Khan; Ismail Khan, Hajji Babat, Khnay Khan, Gul Mohammed and his son Ismael.. Five policemen also died in the attack: Dindar Khan, Umark Khan, Wali Khan, Sadar and Bakhtar. Milik Daud Khan’s son, Noor, is suing the British government for their role in the murder of his father. British intelligence feeds information to U.S. intelligence which the CIA uses to target victims. The British courts have denied the right to sue for more than a year but this week a high court is considering Noor’s appeal. It’s giving the Brits heartburn. It should be giving you heartburn as well. There is no escaping the war crimes committed by you and your assassins at the CIA.

Malik Daud Khan, Age 45, Tribal Elder Killed March 17, 2011 in a CIA Drone Attack on a Jirga Gathered to Resolve a Land Dispute