Pete ShellCo-coordinator, Pittsburgh Anti-Drone-Warfare Coalition

Ignite Pittsburgh • October 23, 2013 • Brillobox

Anti-Drone-Warfare Coalition

A project of

ANTI-DRONE WARFARE COALITIONIs:

Thomas Merton Center Antiwar Committee Code Pink Women for Peace Veterans for Peace American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom The Greens Several dedicated interns and volunteers

Where Are Drones Used?

U.S. government has increasingly deployed them in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.

Especially in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. The United States is not officially at war with these

countries.

Drone Warfare Doesn’t Make the U.S. Safer

For every one person killed by drones, several enemies of the U.S. are created.

U.S. strikes have helped recruitment to violent armed groups and motivated more violent attacks.

Three quarters of Pakistanis now consider the United States to be an enemy.

Impact of Drone Warfare:• U.S. drone strikes have killed

100’s of civilians in Pakistan – including whole households.

• Families are afraid to attend weddings or funerals because of U.S. drone strikes.

• Civilians live in constant fear since drones could strike at any time. • U.S. drones have facilitated recruitment to violent

non-state armed groups.

U.S. Drone Strikes Violate International Law

A recent Congressional Research Service report stated that drone strikes run afoul of international law.

International law experts say that attacks on civilian rescuers are clearly illegal.

Many drone strikes may constitute war crimes according to … Amnesty International Human Rights Watch Christof Heyns, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Richard Falk, Professor of International Affairs at Princeton University

U.S. Drone Strikes Violate U.S. Law

Judge Katherine Forrest ruled that the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force did not cover mere "supporters" of such groups.

She questioned whether it covered "associated forces.“ Under this ruling "signature strikes" and "secondary strikes"

would be illegal under U.S. law. “Outside of armed conflict, the use of drones for targeted

killings is almost never likely to be legal” -- Phillip Alston, Law Professor.

U.S. Drone Strikes Violate the Magna Carta

The Magna Carta is the basis of our legal system. It recognized that anybody accused of a crime has a right to

be judged by a jury of one’s peers. With drones, the President and his advisers arrogate to

themselves the role of judge, jury and executioner. Drones nullify gains in human rights dating back to 1215.

Drones Are Coming to the U.S.

• Metropolitan police and county sheriffs are acquiring smaller drones to assist their SWAT operations.

• Congress recently mandated that the Federal Aviation Administration open domestic airspace to private and commercial drones by 2015.

• Congress also required the FAA to speed up the licensing of government drones -- military, homeland security, and law enforcement -- in commercial U.S. airways.

• A drone operating base just opened in Horsham, PA (outside of Philadelphia).

• Drones use technology developed at CMU.

ANTI-DRONE WARFARE COALITIONDoes:

• Tables, flyers, shows films about drones.• Plans to put on a play about drones.• Is part of a state-wide network against drones.• Holds rallies to end drone warfare.

RALLY AGAINST DRONE WARFARE!

• Sat., Nov. 30• 2pm – 3:30pm

• Forbes & Murray, Squirrel Hill

ANTI-DRONE WARFARE COALITION -Join Us!

• Meets the 3rd Sunday of each month -- except the next meeting which is Nov. 24th

• 1:30 PM • At the Thomas Merton Center• 5129 Penn Avenue in Garfield

For More Info

• Go to droneswatch.org• Or thomasmertoncenter.org• Francine Porter francineporter@aol.com• Or Pete Shell pshell@cmu.edu