Fact check: How many civilians were killed in Obama's drone strikes in Pakistan between 2009 and 2017?

1. Summary of the results

The number of civilians killed in Obama's drone strikes in Pakistan between 2009 and 2017 is estimated to be between 257 and 634, according to one source ^[1]. However, the Obama administration itself reported that between 64 and 116 civilians were killed by drone and other U.S. strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Africa since 2009, but this number is not specific to Pakistan alone ^[2]. Another source reports that Pakistan's Defence Ministry stated U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan have killed 2,160 terrorists and only 67 civilians, but the time period is not specified ^[3]. It's worth noting that the estimates of civilian casualties vary widely, with some sources providing specific numbers for the region, but not the exact time frame or location ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some key context missing from the original statement includes the specific time frame of the drone strikes, as one source only reports on the period between 2009 and 2016 ^[1], while the original statement asks for the period between 2009 and 2017. Additionally, the location is not always specific to Pakistan, as one source reports on drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Africa ^[2]. Alternative viewpoints on the issue of drone strikes and civilian casualties are also present, with some sources discussing the controversy and debate surrounding the use of drones in targeted killings ^[4], and others reporting on the Trump administration's revocation of an Obama-era policy requiring the release of annual summaries of US drone strikes and civilian casualties ^[5]. The sources also highlight the difficulty in obtaining accurate numbers of civilian casualties, with different estimates provided by different sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be biased towards eliciting a specific response, as it asks for a specific number of civilian casualties in Pakistan between 2009 and 2017, without providing context on the difficulty of obtaining accurate numbers or the varying estimates provided by different sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The statement may also be seen as misinformation, as it implies that there is a single, definitive answer to the question, when in fact the estimates of civilian casualties vary widely ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The sources that benefit from this framing are those that seek to criticize the Obama administration's use of drone strikes, such as human rights organizations or anti-war groups, which may use the higher estimates of civilian casualties to argue against the use of drones in targeted killings ^{[1] [4]}. On the other hand, sources that benefit from downplaying the number of civilian casualties, such as the Obama administration itself or pro-drone strike groups, may use the lower estimates to argue that the use of drones is a necessary and effective tool in the fight against terrorism ^{[2] [3]}.