Dear Friends,
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Medea Benjamin
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Join CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin and public records activist Tom Nash for a free webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 2:00 PM Eastern (11:00 AM Pacific): "Researching Drones for Action." Register here.
On November 1, a U.S. drone, or "unmanned aerial vehicle," flying close to the coast of Iran nearly triggered an incident that could have led to catastrophic war as Iranian units fired warning shots.1
One week previous, a CIA drone attack in Miranshah, Pakistan reportedly killed retired schoolmaster Reshmeen Khan and critically burned six of her grandchildren, aged 4 to 18.2
The following day, 17 people were arrested for protesting drone assassinations at Hancock Air Force Base in upstate New York.3 A few days later (Oct. 31), Muckrock helped an activist obtain the names of board members of a CIA front company that develops equipment for drones.4
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Drone victim in Waziristan. Getty Images.
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All this information is accessible to activists. Yet many people have the feeling there is no information on U.S. drones. Indeed, Washington has promoted secrecy around its attack and spy drones -- secrecy that can make activists feel powerless. Yet there is much we can learn to help us act against the use of drones to wage war in Pakistan and other countries and to spy at home.
Medea Benjamin authored the book Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, and recently led a trip to Pakistan to talk with families of drone victims. Tom Nash works for MuckRock on a project to make Freedom of Information Act requests about drone use throughout the United States. They will present strategies for confronting military and spy drone projects in your state and community. They'll review public sources of information, as well as how to find out more that will empower you to oppose these instruments of spying and killing.
The one-hour, free webinar takes place on Tuesday, November 20 at 2 pm Eastern.
Register now for this important webinar with Medea Benjamin and Tom Nash.
Help stop drone warfare and surveillance by accessing information for effective action.
In peace,
John Lindsay-Poland
FOR Research and Advocacy Director
Sources:
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/09/iran-strike-us-drone-persian-gulf
2. http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/01/11/obama-2012-strikes/
3. http://upstatedroneaction.org/
4. https://www.muckrock.com/foi/virginia-128/board-members-of-in-q-tel-1999-2012-2099/ |
