CGTN published this video item, entitled “Ex U.S. Army Drone Pilot: Nobody was held responsible for civilians’ casualties” – below is their description.
On Nov 13, 2021, the New York Times published an article mentioning that the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has decided that no U.S. troops will be held responsible for the drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed 10 civilians (including seven children). In fact, the number of death of innocent victims was just the tip of the iceberg in the past 20 years.
Brandon Bryant is an ex-U.S. Army drone pilot enlisted in 2005 and deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, where he operated hundreds of thousands of drone surveillance and strike missions. After being honorably discharged in 2011, the predator experience caused him to suffer from severe mental health issues. After that, he has tried to expose the U.S. Military, which was never held responsible for civilians killed in drone strikes. In this episode, Brandon shares his experiences in the Army and denounces the irresponsible action made in Afghanistan.
CGTN YouTube Channel
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About This Source - CGTN
This story is an English language news item from CGTN. CGTN is a Chinese state-funded broadcaster.
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and China to the northeast.
Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is around 32 million, composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabakis, Armenians, Mandaeans, Circassians, Sabians and Kawliya. Around 99% of the country’s 38 million citizens are Muslims, with small minorities of Christians, Yarsans, Yezidis and Mandeans also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.
Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km (36 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation.
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Disputes over the sovereignty of Kurdistan Region continue.
Iraq is a founding member of the UN as well as of the Arab League, OIC, Non-Aligned Movement and the IMF.
New York is a state in the northeastern U.S., known for New York City and towering Niagara Falls. NYC’s island of Manhattan is home to the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park. The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan with the borough of Brooklyn. The iconic Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. To the east, Long Island has beaches, the Montauk Lighthouse, the ritzy Hamptons and Fire Island.
The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership. Founded in 1851 and nicknamed “the Gray Lady”, the Times has long been regarded within the industry as a national “newspaper of record”.