Here’s a life tip you probably don’t need to be told: You should really avoid having your name put on the government’s drone strike “kill list.” A kill list target named Malik Jalal believes that he’s been wrongfully placed in the government’s crosshairs and he’s written a piece for The Independent describing what it’s like to have predator drones hunting you and potentially firing missiles at you when you least expect it.
Spoiler alert: It’s not a lot of fun.
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“My friends began to decline my invitations, afraid that dinner might be interrupted by a missile,” Jalal writes, explaining what happened after he survived four separate drone strikes that killed dozens of civilians who were standing near him. “I took to the habit of sleeping under the trees, well above my home, to avoid acting as a magnet of death for my whole family.”
Jalal, who hails from the Waziristan area near the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has traveled to the U.K. to plead his case that he doesn’t deserve to be on any kill list. He believes he is being targeted for his work with the North Waziristan Peace committee (NWPC), which western intelligence agencies believe to be offering safe haven to the Taliban in Pakistan. Jalal, however, claims he only plays a “peaceful” role with the group and isn’t part of any terrorist plot.
At any rate, living in constant fear for both your life and the life of your family doesn’t seem like a good thing. Check out Jalal’s full account at this link.
