What Happened?

23 June 2009: At least 3 US drone missiles struck a funeral procession in the Makin area of the South Waziristan agency. The resulting explosion led to a mass-casualty massacre, killing at least 84 people and leaving more than 150 wounded.

Western intelligence justified the massacre on the assassination of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who was not even on the site at the time of the attack.

Any alleged militant participation is moot because attacking a funeral procession is a war crime under Article. 51(2) & 53 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and Art. 8 of the Rome Statute.

The funeral was held to bury the dead killed in a U.S. drone attack earlier in the same day.

The dead bodies were therefore intentionally mutilated, falling under:

Article 51(2) & 53, Additional Protocol I (attacks on civilians & religious practices);
Article 15–16, Geneva Convention I(respect for the dead);
Article 34(1), Additional Protocol I (prohibition of mutilation of remains);
Article 8, Rome Statute(war crimes: targeting civilians & outrages upon dignity of the dead).

References

Turkish Weekly. (2009). US drone attack on Pakistan condemned. Retrieved from Turkish Weekly.

Pictorial and Evidence

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