Pakistani victims tell US lawmakers tale of drone attack (Grayson chaired this hearing) [View all]
Source: Al Jazeera America
Nine-year-old Nabila Rehman rested her head on the table.
Nabila, a shy girl with startling hazel eyes and red streaks in her dark hair, along with her father Rafiq and 13-year-old brother Zubair have told the story of the day when a drone fell from the sky in their village in North Waziristan so many times that by Tuesday morning the tale was rote — even if this particular retelling was before U.S. lawmakers, at a briefing which was the first opportunity for members of Congress to hear directly from Pakistani victims of American drones.
It was Oct. 24, 2012, the day before the Islamic holy day of Eid-al-Adha in North Waziristan. Zubair, Nabila, their little sister, five-year-old Asma and some of their cousins were all in the fields beside their house as their grandmother, 67-year-old Momina Bibi, showed them how to tell when the okra was ripe for picking.
Zubair knew the drones were circling overhead; he has known their distinctive buzzing since he was even younger — a methodical zung, zung, zung, he says.
Read more: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/29/congressional-briefingonpakistanidronevictimsdraws5lawmakers.html
Coverage of the hearing in US media:
Huffington Post, Why Did America Kill My Mother? Pakistani Drone Victim Comes To Congress For Answer
Rolling Stone, Individuals, Worlds Apart, United by the Trauma of Drone Strikes
Washington Post, From Pakistan, family comes to tell of drone strike’s toll
Orlando Sentinel, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson stages briefing to attack drone strikes (makes sense as this paper serves Grayson's district)
Nothing so far in the AP or New York Times.
Coverage of the hearing in international media:
UK/The Guardian, Pakistani family of drone strike victim gives harrowing testimony to Congress
UK/The Independent, Pakistani family give Congress an unprecedented account of effect of CIA drone attacks on their community
Associated Press of Pakistan (not related to the American Associated Press), Pakistani victim family urges end to drone warfare in Congressional briefing
Iran/Press TV, Pakistan victims of US drone attack brief Congress
Russia Today, Victims of drone strike testify before Congress
Pakistan/Dawn News, Drone strikes could end tomorrow if Pakistan wanted to: Grayson
Pakistan/The Nation, Fata family recounts drone horror before Congress
Recent news about the US/drone strikes:
Reuters (10/22), U.S. drone strikes killed Pakistani grandmother, laborers: Amnesty
Washington Post (10/23), Secret memos reveal explicit nature of U.S., Pakistan agreement on drones
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