Sunday Roundup (POLITICS)
This week, the White House revealed it really does care about civilians being killed by drones -- at least when they're Americans or Westerners. On Thursday, President Obama expressed "profound regrets," and described as "uniquely tragic," a January drone strike in Pakistan that killed two al Qaeda-held hostages -- one American, one Italian. But while certainly tragic, it's far from unique. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates that, under Obama, drones in Pakistan alone have killed between 256 and 630 civilians, with at least 66 of them children. In fact, the first drone strike of his presidency reportedly killed at least nine civilians. In the wake of this week's announcement, the president ordered a review of what lessons can be learned from these latest deaths. One we already know: Some innocent lives are apparently more valuable than others.