John Brennan: Civilian Deaths During War Inevitable

WASHINGTON — The president's counterterrorism adviser now says civilian deaths are inevitable in the U.S. hunt for terrorists.

John Brennan's comments on ABC's "This Week" are in stark contrast to those he made in June 2011. He claimed then that in the prior year there hadn't been "a single collateral death because of the exceptional proficiency, precision of the capabilities we've been able to develop." His remarks were sharply challenged at the time by human rights groups and anti-war advocates.

On Sunday Brennan said there had been a period of time where the U.S. "had no information about a single civilian being killed." But, he added, "unfortunately in war there are casualties, including among the civilian population." He said "sometimes you have to take life to save lives."

Comments

[omegapoint]

11:30 AM on 05/01/2012

The winners always get a pass on their war crimes.

[MrStat1]

07:17 PM on 04/30/2012

He's right. There is always collateral damage in war.

[Wisdo]

06:28 AM on 05/01/2012

which is why war is hell, and why waging wars of agression are the worst kind of evil.

[no longer blind]

09:06 AM on 05/01/2012

Yes there always is collateral damage, its just the word "unnecessary" collateral damage he is avoiding.

[Aurel1us]

02:25 PM on 04/30/2012

Well.....at least he's saying the truth. People are going to die in a war. Innocent and guilty.

[stargazer13]

02:08 PM on 04/30/2012

we the people were lied to

our children and every one else ,s children have died for lies lies lies !

there is no honor to be found NO NONE !!

[stargazer13]

01:58 PM on 04/30/2012

I was not impressed by what he said :(

but I was very
impressed with the young lady,s courage that did stand and speak her truth :)

million of innocent civilians have lost there lives

if one was to LOOK at statistics from all wars of the past

civilians now make up more of the casualties then the supposed enemy !!

NOW WHY IS THAT !!!

[myopinion2]

01:31 PM on 04/30/2012

You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?

[stargazer13]

02:10 PM on 04/30/2012

sure we can handle it !!

some times the truth hurts

but that does not mean
we can not handle the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth :)

[PermanentVacancy]

01:08 PM on 04/30/2012

This man was so sickening that i couldn't even watch him on TV yesterday, I quickly found something else on another station. What an obvious shill and liar ! They have no shame in D.C.

[stargazer13]

01:59 PM on 04/30/2012

I agree

his words turned my stomach

[Wisdo]

06:33 AM on 05/01/2012

His "logic" is wretchedly perverse and obscene.

"oh well theres always collateral damage in war". Right, and who ordered the war? the children and women you are BUTCHERING in these drone strikes? the farmers defending their home from american invaders?

If its fine and dandy to blow people to pieces on the far side of the world so that you can say you stopped some tribesman from maybe shooting his AK at a US base then isnt it fine and dandy for their retaliation to kill US civilians too? Because thats what he is saying.

He is arguing for the right to kill civilians and that right cuts both ways. Would one argue for the right of "Al Kaida" to kill US civilians since its "war"?

[PermanentVacancy]

08:29 AM on 05/01/2012

Yep. Sadly you are correct Wisdo and for the most part Americans are okay with it as long as they are killing those "others" which most consider terrorist because of their race and religion.........very sad and disturbing.

[freddyb]

12:29 PM on 04/30/2012

The enemies now look like civilians. Our troops wear uniforms they don't. They hide behind women and children. So what are our troops to do?

[PermanentVacancy]

01:07 PM on 04/30/2012

We don't have credible enemies in the mountains of Pakistan. Since we have absolutely no reason to be there or Afghanistan since we killed Osama, they are defending their own nations from foreign terrorists.... We need to stop the insanity and withdraw to our own borders. There are NO hordes of enemies coming, you paranoid warmongers need to get a new hobby.

[terroristmd]

05:09 PM on 04/30/2012

To call American troops terrorists just shows me you aren't really American. You have ZERO knowledge about the events in Afghanistan and have NO idea what you are talking about. Turn yourself into the nearest VETERAN for proper classification.

[stargazer13]

02:02 PM on 04/30/2012

so that,s how you going to excuse this nightmare !

try again for I am not buying what your selling !!

[Gayle Boesky]

11:04 AM on 04/30/2012

The very fact that civilian deaths are inevitable in war is why wars shouldn't be fought unless there is no alternative.

[Cheapthrills]

09:18 AM on 04/30/2012

So. that means anyone is fair game?

[Wisdo]

06:35 AM on 05/01/2012

yep, including US civilians according to his logic. Its now fine for foreign nationals to engage and kill us civilians wherever because "war" or whatever.

[terroristmd]

03:00 PM on 05/01/2012

Yep you sound like OBL.

[deltalady]

09:02 AM on 04/30/2012

DRAFT! DRAFT!! DRAFT!! Make the "all volunteer" military a requirement for EVERYONE and this madenss might stop. Til then....blood, blood, blood...for American MIC, the Pentagon, and all this neo con President's "advisors". I'm anti-war and not ashamed of it. This Dem party I've supported for over 30 years should be as well....but unfortunately, my party has been dominated with weak members who only do what their rich supporters want them to.

[Gui Montag]

09:11 AM on 04/30/2012

I have a feeling you would be singing a different tune should your child be the one called up.

[PermanentVacancy]

01:09 PM on 04/30/2012

No she would still be protesting !!! Thats the whole point but your as usual too dense to understand because ENGLISH isn't your native language.. Why don't u just stick to JPost in hebrew?

[stargazer13]

02:06 PM on 04/30/2012

they have called for a draft

I have four sons and I have been calling for a draft to be instituted ever since the redacted white paper that was given to our CONGRESS
by Mr Bush !!! for his wars based on lies
Lies Mind you !!

[deltalady]

08:56 AM on 04/30/2012

There is no difference between the war policies of Bush/Cheney and Obama/Biden. I was a child during the Vietnam War and this is so reminiscent, it's obvious we learned nothing from that little sojourn. Collateral damage is OK as long as it's not your family, huh sir? We drop bombs on people, kill a couple of guys with guns on their shoulders, and in the process, wipe out innocent men, women, and children. And you think they're EVER going to accept our prescence there? You kill my child or my grandmother and I"m gonna hate you for life. But no one in this administration has the guts to send their own into this bloody melee. This new OBL ad makes me sick...go ahead, Obama...let the war mongers believe you're a big man. But the deaths of the innocent are the fault of this administration and if all the "Christians" who believe in war agree with this, then they'll face their worse critic..their God...when this life is over. Let's hope those responsible get their come uppance in the next life because it appears that worldwide annialtion of the innocent is OK int he 21st century.

[PermanentVacancy]

01:11 PM on 04/30/2012

I agree 100% ! If i could double fan u I would... :)

[terroristmd]

05:18 PM on 04/30/2012

Guess you haven't read the bible...there is a few wars in there...and a few times GOD has called for ethnic cleansing. But whatever those are just facts, I don't want to confuse you.

[MHB48]

08:53 AM on 04/30/2012

War is hell....especially on those caught in the middle and who, through no fault of their own, are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just can't imagine the horror of being in a place like Sarajevo or Hue City and countless other places during armed conflict.

[2B4real]

08:29 AM on 04/30/2012

So if GW is a war criminal, Obama stands in the same docket...

[deltalady]

08:57 AM on 04/30/2012

Hey...he got a Nobel Peace Prize...that must mean that killing the innocent and extending war across the globe is a GOOD thing, don't you know? And don't forget torture, domestic spying, money for war and none for the poor and hurting. Great job there Mr. Prez.

[terroristmd]

05:42 PM on 05/01/2012

To be fair he received the prize before those events took place...He just earned them while in office is all. Oh and its pronounced Mr. President in America...I know you are trying and English is your 2nd language, but come on you know better jihad jane.

[mumi009]

08:14 AM on 04/30/2012

And military casualties never seem to include the sons and daughters of U.S. politicians who send the rest into harm's way.

[2B4real]

08:30 AM on 04/30/2012

News flash - it's an all volunteer military and so no one goes unless they want to...

[deltalady]

09:00 AM on 04/30/2012

and since they don't have jobs why not go and spill their blood so that Congress and this administration, their families, and supporters can live the good life, right? The army gives great sign on bonuses to poor kids who have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. DRAFT! That's what we need. As long as the poor and disenfranchised fill up the transport planes to go to God knows where to keep the MIC happy, this country won't care. When everyone's little darling starts getting shot at, this country will come alive and we'll finally get the hell out of these pits of hell that DC politicians love to send our troops to.

[mumi009]

07:28 PM on 04/30/2012

I guess the kids of U.S. politcos and big business execs had "other priorities", like our fomrer VP and chicken hawk.

[conservativebutnormal]

12:12 PM on 05/01/2012

Since only about 2% of the population serve, There's a WHOLE LOT of other people's kids who don't serve either. As I end my 24 year military career, I can honestly say that I'm glad that I didn't have to deal with people who didn't want to be there. I had the honor of serving with America's finest. I hear people like you bring up these trivial points and, as much as I love that everyone has the right to free speech, they should try to limit it to what they have an inkling of an idea what they're talking about.