Sandusky sentenced; then, the civilian toll of drone strikes

Hour 1

Yesterday, former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years for the sexual abuse of nine young men, a scandal that rocked Happy Valley and forced the ouster of legendary coach Joe Paterno. NPR reporter JEFF BRADY was in the courthouse yesterday and joins us with an update. Then, we shift gears to assess military drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Do they work? Are they as “targeted and precise” as the U.S. government claims? Do they respect the rules of war? What are the constitutional issues they raise? And what do they do to the communities over which they hover? Along with Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic, the nonprofit group Center for Civilians in Conflict has released a report, “The Civilian Impact of Drones: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions” that explores the U.S. government’s covert drone program and its impact on civilian populations. We’ll speak with SARAH HOLEWINSKI, executive director of Center for Civilians in Conflict, and the Council on Foreign Relations’ MICAH ZENKO, who writes the blog, “Politics, Power and Preventive Action,” covering U.S. national security policy, international security, and conflict prevention.

Listen:
[audio: 101012_100630.mp3]
Photo Credit: AP Images / U.S. Air Force