A review of U.S. military policy and human rights

United States military policy violates human rights in a number of ways. This presentation will describe four of them: (a) The use of armed drones to assassinate persons labeled as "terrorists", and the resultant deaths and nonfatal injuries to others; (b) diversion of human and financial resources away from programs and activities that support health, both in the United States and in other countries; (c) human rights violations related to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, including attacks on noncombatant civilians and forcing noncombatants out of their homes and communities; and (d) detention of suspected terrorists in conditions that impair their physical and mental health and abrogate their civil liberties, including their right to a speedy trial. Public health workers can influence U.S. military policy to better protect human rights.