Bruce Gagnon: The drone market is exploding and there is an effort underway to turn Brunswick Naval Air Station into a UAV testing center after the base closes next year.Bruce also links to THIS story today:
Informed sources tell us that the plans for Maine include drones from BNAS flying up and down the Maine coast peering at boats and people for "homeland security" reasons. [Maine Commissioner of Economic and Community Development] John Richardson has been a key proponent of this plan. Now is the time for Mainers to know about this and to speak up.
Top judge: 'use of drones intolerable'
Unmanned weapons are condemned by Lord Bingham as 'beyond the pale' | The Independent | By Robert Verkaik, Legal Editgor | Monday, 6 July 2009
The use of unmanned drones as weapons of war in conflicts around the world has been called into question by one of Britain's most senior judges. Lord Bingham, until last year the senior law lord, said that some weapons were so "cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance".Bruce has up a video from a New Mexico teevee news report showing drone camera footage. It's an amazing report, mentioning that the pilots operating these killing machines from half-way around the world can "witness the aftermath in great detail" before knocking off for the day to "go to [the] kids' soccer game."
In an interview with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, Lord Bingham compared drones, which have killed hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Gaza, with cluster bombs and landmines.
His comments are bound to intensify calls for new international rules to protect civilian populations from arbitrary attacks launched by the pilotless craft.
Lord Bingham asked in the interview, which addressed the issue of the state being bound by the rule of law: "Are there, for example, and this goes to conflict, not post-conflict situations, weapons that ought to be outlawed? From time to time in the history of international law various weapons have been thought to be so cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance. I think cluster bombs and landmines are the most recent examples.
"It may be ? I'm not expressing a view ?- that unmanned drones that fall on a house full of civilians is a weapon the international community should decide should not be used."
Indeed, "the aftermath." The report doesn't offer details, but they must be bad. After watching the little figures and seemingly toy-sized vehicles get blown to bits in the footage, it's little wonder the Air Force has "brought in more counselors and chaplains to help crews deal with particularly traumatic missions." Imagine how "traumatic" the missions must be for those upon whose heads the bombs are exploded!
Here's the bottom line as far as I'm concerned: The U.S. has invaded and occupied the lands in which it is chopping up innocent, defenseless people with these diabolical killing machines. Every decent citizen of the countries under attack now has the right to defend themselves against the U.S. and its allies. Of course, being vastly weaker in military equipment and technology will lead to extreme cost to these populations. Therefore, it is the duty of every decent American to protest our government's actions and stop these unnecessary wars, in order to prevent the loss of so many lives.
Some related posts:
- Drone stories of death
- Pakistan targets: orphans without shelter
- Drones of death
- Reaping Mother's Day in Iraq
- Where is Sidney Freedman when you need him?
Posted by The Owl at 15:14. Filed under: War and peace
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