Ban Weaponized Drones! Sign the Petition!

by the Disarm/End Wars Issue Committee

Because drones are the new weapon of warfare, used by the U.S., Britain, and Israel, we are asking WILPF Branches and members to take action against the use of drones in warfare. We propose two actions:

1. Please sign the petition found here. Or you can print copies for your local Branch to distribute.
2. Organize a monthly “Death Walk” against drone warfare. We have provided below a model for the walk.

Drones are in the news almost every day, those used for intelligence gathering and those used in warfare. They are controlled by the CIA and the Pentagon, by military personnel located in the U.S. at Creech AFB, NV and reportedly from Langley AFB in VA , close to CIA headquarters.

Why does the U.S. military use drone warfare?

Drones are used for targeted killing of Al-Qaeda and other suspects. While drone attacks are said to  “save” the lives of  American military, they threaten and have killed thousand of civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including doctors and rescuers who were trying to assist victims. Livingunderdrones.org and their YouTube video contain an excellent report recently released by New York University and Stanford Law School. Researchers interviewed 130 people in Pakistan and related their stories of fear and anger at the U.S. for drone bombings. They are used in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Mali and other areas where the U.S. is targeting “suspected” militants. More up to date information on drones is available from Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Protest actions against drones have taken place at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada; Beale Air Force Base, California; Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri; and Hancock Field near Syracuse, New York.

For those interested in carrying out a "death walk" in their own community, the drone "death walk" proceeds in the following manner: Participants dress in black, wearing a black scarf or hood and a plain white mask (masks are available at Party City, USA, among the Halloween masks). Participants walk silently, single file, with a drum beating at the back and at the front of the line (one drum is fine if resources are limited). Participants carry banners and signs and walk through a populated downtown area for one hour. Leaflets are distributed. Those who distribute the flyers do not wear masks, to avoid intimidating the takers. They may walk in the front and back of the line.

WILPF U.S. has signed on to a petition to U.S. government officials demanding an end to the use of drones in warfare. We will carry this on the walk for individuals to sign. Sample leaflets are available from End the Wars Committee or you can download them here. Contact Marge at mvc@igc.org or Joan at joanecklein@comcast.