L’article (traduit) de la Süddeutsche Zeitung
Exclusive : US Armed Forces Piloting Drones From Bases In Germany - All News Is Global |
▻http://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/exclusive-us-armed-forces-piloting-drones-from-bases-in-germany/drones-germany-somalia-united-states-illegal/c1s12174
Ten deadly drone attacks killing up to 29 people have so far been carried out in Somalia by US forces. Most of those killed were believed to be members of the militant Al Shabab, which aims to create an Islamic state on the Horn of Africa.
Since 2011 an air mission control center in Ramstein has been guiding US Air Force attacks in Africa including Somalia. Up to 650 staff at the Ramstein control center monitor African air space, evaluate pictures taken by drone and satellite, and plan new missions. Without the special satellite relay station for unmanned flying objects in Ramstein the drone attacks in Africa “could not be carried out,” according to a US Air Force internal memo.
Documents make clear that there are plans to replace an old facility with a better, permanent one. U.S. Congress approved the equivalent of 8.4m euros for this in 2011. “Realizing this project will improve satellite communication with drones long-term,” says the document.
When asked, a US military spokesperson said that generally responsibility for all military operations in Africa — including the drone missions — lay with Africom in Stuttgart. An internal memo shows that Africom is seeking to hire “secret service analysts” whose task would be to “nominate” targets for drone missions in Africa.
Le porte-parole états-unien explique benoîtement que l’analyse et la décision sont faites à Stuttgart mais que le pilotage et le contrôle des drones non. (On est en plein dans la dilution de la responsabilité telle que décrite par Chamayou…)
Quant au gouvernement allemand, il n’est au courant de rien.
Berlin not aware of U.S. drone strikes from German bases | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/us-germany-us-drones-idUSBRE94U0WV20130531
Thomas Oppermann, parliamentary floor leader of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), said German law prohibited targeted attacks outside of armed conflicts and demanded an explanation from the government.
“The German government has no knowledge of such operations being planned or carried out by U.S. armed forces,” Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told a regular government news conference.
Asked about the reports, Major Ryan Donald of United States European Command (EUCOM) based in Stuttgart said: “We maintain robust civilian and military cooperation with Germany and manage all base activities in accordance with the agreements made between the United States and German governments.”
“The Air and Space Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base monitors and assesses assigned airpower missions throughout Europe and Africa, but does not directly fly or control any manned or remotely piloted aircraft,” he said in a statement.
