{"id":59795,"date":"2015-06-22T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=59795"},"modified":"2015-06-18T14:06:14","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T13:06:14","slug":"veterans-urge-drone-operators-to-refuse-orders-to-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/06\/veterans-urge-drone-operators-to-refuse-orders-to-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Urge Drone Operators to Refuse Orders to Fly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letter Reinforces Call Made in National TV Ad Campaign<\/em><\/p>\n

17 Jun 2015<\/em> \u2013 An increasing number of United States military veterans are counseling United States military drone operators to refuse to fly drone surveillance\/attack missions \u2013 the veterans are even helping sponsor prime time television commercials urging drone operators to \u201crefuse to fly.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a letter released today by KnowDrones.com, 44 former members of the US Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines whose ranks range from private to colonel and whose military service spans 60 years, \u201curge United States drone pilots, sensor operators and support teams to refuse\u00a0to play any role in\u00a0drone surveillance\/ assassination missions.\u00a0 These missions profoundly violate domestic and international laws intended to protect individuals\u2019 rights to life, privacy and due process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those signing the letter are retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright, who resigned from her State Department post in 2003 over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and former Marine Captain Matthew Hoh, who, in spite of pleadings by Obama Administration officials, resigned his State Department post in Afghanistan in 2009 in protest over U.S. strategic goals and policy there. Also signing are former U.S. Army Captain and CIA official Ray McGovern; former U.S. Navy Lt. Barry Ladendorf, president of Veterans for Peace; and former U.S. Army Sgts. Aaron Hughes and Maggie Martin, co-directors of Iraq Veterans Against the War.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the issue of disobeying military orders, the letter says: \u201cThose involved in United States drone operations who refuse to participate in drone missions will be acting in accordance with Principle IV of the Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgment of the Tribunal, The United Nations 1950,\u201d that states:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him of responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe people signing this letter know that they are asking drone operators to take a heavy step,\u201d said Nick Mottern, coordinator of KnowDrones.com, \u201cbut we feel it is perfectly legitimate to advise military people to stop taking part in illegal activity that has killed thousands without due process, is terrorizing thousands more and is wracking their own ranks with moral injury and PTSD.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

To advance the \u201cRefuse to Fly\u201d initiative, KnowDrones.com has been airing 15-second television commercials on CNN, FoxNews, MNBC and other networks in areas near drone intelligence and control centers in the U.S. The paid spots, the cost of which has been partially covered by members of Veterans for Peace, show the human toll of drone attacks and urge drone operators to refuse to fly. <\/em><\/p>\n

httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ESdmex_AA3I&feature=youtu.be<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n

The ads have appeared in Las Vegas near Creech AFB and in northern California near Beale AFB. They are currently airing in upstate New York near Hancock Air National Guard base outside Syracuse and the Air Guard base near Niagara Falls; more showings will be scheduled soon elsewhere in the U.S. <\/em><\/p>\n

Below is the letter.<\/em><\/p>\n

********************<\/em><\/p>\n

RETIRED AND FORMER U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL URGE DRONE OPERATORS TO REFUSE TO FLY MISSIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

As retired and former members of the United States military, we urge United States drone pilots, sensor operators and support teams to refuse\u00a0to play any role in\u00a0drone surveillance\/ assassination missions.\u00a0 These missions profoundly violate domestic and international laws intended to protect individuals\u2019 rights to life, privacy and due process.<\/p>\n

At least 6,000 peoples\u2019 lives have been unjustly taken by United States drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, the Philippines, Libya and Syria.\u00a0 These attacks are also undermining principles of international law and human rights, such as those enumerated in the United Nations International Declaration of Human Rights, written in 1948 under the guidance of Eleanor Roosevelt with the blood of the atrocities of World War II freshly in mind.\u00a0 The United States is a signatory to this declaration.<\/p>\n

Those involved in United States drone operations who refuse to participate in drone missions will be acting in accordance within accordance of Principle IV of the Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgment of the Tribunal, The United Nations 1950:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him of responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

So, yes, you do have a choice \u2013 and liability under the law. Choose the moral one. Choose the legal one.<\/em><\/p>\n

Signed:<\/em><\/p>\n

Kenneth Ashe E3 US Army Vietnam 1969 \u2013 1971 <\/em><\/p>\n

Wendy Barranco\u00a0\u00a0 SPC US Army 2003 \u2013 2006<\/em><\/p>\n

Barry Binks E5 US Army 1964-1967<\/em><\/p>\n

Russell Brown CPL US Marine Corps 1966- 1968<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben Chitty PO2 US Navy 1965 \u2013 1969<\/em><\/p>\n

Gerry Condon PVT US Army 1967 \u2013 1969<\/em><\/p>\n

Bill Distler E5 US Army 1966 \u2013 1968<\/em><\/p>\n

Arthur H. Dorland\u00a0\u00a0 YN3 US Navy 1964 \u2013 1967<\/em><\/p>\n

Kelly Dougherty\u00a0\u00a0 Sgt. \u2013 E-5 US Army National Guard\u00a0\u00a0 1996 \u2013 2004<\/em><\/p>\n

Jonathan Engle\u00a0\u00a0 SFC (E-7) US Army 2004 \u2013 2013<\/em><\/p>\n

Mike Ferner HM3 US Navy 1969 \u2013 1973<\/em><\/p>\n

Bruce Gagnon\u00a0\u00a0 SGT US Air Force\u00a0\u00a0 1971 \u2013 1974<\/em><\/p>\n

Bill J. Gilson\u00a0\u00a0 AE2\u00a0\u00a0 US Navy\u00a0\u00a0 1954 \u2013 1958<\/em><\/p>\n

Mike Hastie\u00a0\u00a0 E5 US Army 1969 \u2013 1972<\/em><\/p>\n

Michael Hearington\u00a0\u00a0 E1 US Army 171st<\/sup> Infantry 1970 \u2013 1971<\/em><\/p>\n

Dud Hendrick CAPT US Air Force 1963 \u2013 1967<\/em><\/p>\n

Herbert J. Hoffman\u00a0\u00a0 SPC3 US Army 1954 \u2013 1956<\/em><\/p>\n

Matthew Hoh\u00a0\u00a0 CPT US Marine Corps 1998 \u2013 2008<\/em><\/p>\n

Matt Howard\u00a0\u00a0 CPL US Marine Corps 2001 \u2013 2006<\/em><\/p>\n

Aaron Hughes\u00a0\u00a0 SGT (E-5) Illinois National Guard \u00a02000 \u2013 2006<\/em><\/p>\n

Tarak Kauff\u00a0\u00a0 PVT\u00a0\u00a0 US Army Airborne Infantry\u00a0\u00a0 1959 \u2013 1962<\/em><\/p>\n

Barry Ladendorf\u00a0\u00a0 LT US Navy 1964 \u2013 1969<\/em><\/p>\n

Erik Lobo PO3 US Navy 1976 \u2013 1982<\/em><\/p>\n

Maggie Martin\u00a0\u00a0 SGT E-5 US Army 2001 \u2013 2006<\/em><\/p>\n

Kenneth E. Mayers\u00a0\u00a0 MAJ US Marine Corps Reserve 1958 \u2013 1966 (active duty) 1967 \u2013 1978 (Reserves)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ray McGovern\u00a0\u00a0 CPT US Army\u00a0\u00a0 1962 \u2013 1964 <\/em><\/p>\n

Nick Mottern\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 LTJG US Navy 1960 \u2013 1963<\/em><\/p>\n

Carroll Nast CAPT US Air Force 1969 \u2013 1979<\/em><\/p>\n

Tom Palumbo SGT US Army\/US Army Reserve 1978 \u2013 1992<\/em><\/p>\n

Bill Perry\u00a0\u00a0 US Army 101st Airborne\/Tet Offensive 1966 \u2013 1968<\/em><\/p>\n

Kyle Petlock\u00a0\u00a0 0-1 US Air Force 2000 \u2013 2002<\/em><\/p>\n

Charles R. Powell\u00a0\u00a0 E4 US Air Force\u00a0\u00a0 1961 \u2013 1965<\/em><\/p>\n

Doug Rawlings SPC4 US Army Vietnam 1969 \u2013 1970<\/em><\/p>\n

John C. Reiger\u00a0\u00a0 SPC5 US Army 1959 \u2013 1962<\/em><\/p>\n

Jovanni L. Reyes\u00a0\u00a0 SSG US Army 1994 \u2013 2005 Active Duty. 2005 \u2013 2007 Reserves<\/em><\/p>\n

Hannah Roberts\u00a0\u00a0 LT (03) US Navy 2009 \u2013 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

Steven E. Saelzler\u00a0\u00a0 E1 US Army Vietnam 1969 \u2013 1970<\/em><\/p>\n

Benjamin Schrader\u00a0\u00a0 E-4 US Army 2001 \u2013 2005<\/em><\/p>\n

Chuck Searcy\u00a0\u00a0 E5 US Army 1966 \u2013 1969<\/em><\/p>\n

Robert L. Stebbins\u00a0\u00a0 1stLT US Army 1956 \u2013 1958<\/em><\/p>\n

Will Thomas E3 US Navy 1961 \u2013 1963<\/em><\/p>\n

Cres Vellucci E-5 US Army Vietnam 1969 \u2013 1971<\/em><\/p>\n

Zachary Wigham\u00a0\u00a0 SSgt. Massachusetts Air National Guard 2006 -2012<\/em><\/p>\n

Ann Wright Colonel US Army (Retired)<\/em><\/p>\n

________________________________<\/p>\n

David Swanson is the author of <\/em>War Is A Lie and <\/em>Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union. He holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia and has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN<\/a>. He blogs at http:\/\/davidswanson.org<\/a> and http:\/\/warisacrime.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

17 Jun 2015 \u2013 Letter Reinforces Call Made in National TV Ad Campaign – An increasing number of United States military veterans are counseling United States military drone operators to refuse to fly drone surveillance\/attack missions \u2013 the veterans are even helping sponsor prime time television commercials urging drone operators to \u201crefuse to fly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-militarism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59795\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}