Weel, c'mon, man, that was ... uh, different! (Updated)

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senator murphy’s day off

I asked Grok: did the obama administration conduct "double-tap" drone strikes on terrorists?

Results:

Yes, reports from human rights organizations, investigative journalism, and media outlets indicate that double-tap drone strikes—where an initial strike is followed by one or more secondary strikes targeting responders, rescuers, or survivors—occurred during the Obama administration's drone campaign against terrorist targets, primarily in Pakistan and Yemen.

Key Evidence and Context

  • Investigative reports from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) documented multiple instances of double-tap strikes in Pakistan between 2009 and 2013, including attacks on rescuers and funeral gatherings. For example:

    • A 2012 strike in Zowi Sidgi (North Waziristan) hit a tent, followed by a second strike on responders.

    • Field investigations confirmed at least 11–12 cases of strikes on rescuers or mourners in Pakistan during this period, with some revival of the tactic in mid-2012 targeting high-value individuals like al-Qaeda figure Yahya al-Libi.

  • Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reports from 2013 highlighted double-tap practices in Pakistan and Yemen, noting they often killed civilians or first responders and raised concerns under international humanitarian law (e.g., protections for the wounded and civilians).

  • Academic and legal analyses (e.g., Florida Law Review, Stanford/NYU's "Living Under Drones" report) cited evidence of repeated double-tap strikes, arguing they risked violating Geneva Conventions by targeting those hors de combat or indiscriminately harming civilians.

Obama Administration's Overall Drone Program

The Obama administration dramatically expanded drone use, authorizing around 540 strikes in non-battlefield settings (Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia), compared to about 50 under President Bush. These were part of counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and associated forces.

Official Position and Denials

The administration described drone strikes as "effective" and "legal" (e.g., Obama's 2013 speech), emphasizing precision and minimization of civilian harm. It often disputed or downplayed civilian casualty figures and did not publicly acknowledge double-tap as a deliberate policy. Some sources note internal concerns (e.g., warnings against a "take-no-prisoners" approach), but no explicit denial of the reported patterns emerged in public records.

Criticisms and Controversy

Critics (human rights groups, scholars) argued double-taps could constitute war crimes if they intentionally or indiscriminately targeted protected persons. Defenders viewed them as targeting additional combatants gathering at sites. Civilian casualties from the overall program were contested, with estimates ranging from hundreds to over 800 in affected countries.While the U.S. government never officially confirmed double-tap as standard procedure, credible independent investigations substantiate that such strikes took place under the Obama administration's drone operations targeting terrorists.

UPDATE: I referred to these new Democrat favorites as “Maryland Men” in a post last week, but Congressman Schiffforbrains has done me one better: