Sunday, June 17, 2012

Illinois Congressmen Demand Drone Answers

Illinois congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Luis V. Gutierrez were among the 26 signatories on a June 12 letter to President Obama demanding answers about the combat drone program.

According to the press release on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's website, the letter "demands the White House’s legal justification for 'signature' drone strikes, which could significantly increase the risk of killing innocent civilians or those who have no relationship to a potential attack on the U.S., further enflaming anti-U.S. sentiment abroad" and states:
“We are concerned that the use of such ‘signature’ strikes could raise the risk of killing innocent civilians or individuals who may have no relationship to attacks on the United States,” write Kucinich et al. “Our drone campaigns already have virtually no transparency, accountability or oversight. We are further concerned about the legal grounds for such strikes under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force. . . . The implications of the use of drones for our national security are profound. They are faceless ambassadors that cause civilian deaths, and are frequently the only direct contact with Americans that the targeted communities have. They can generate powerful and enduring anti-American sentiment.”

In addition to Rep. Kucinich, the full list of signers includes John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Michael M. Honda (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA), Lynn C. Woolsey (D-CA), Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), Ron Paul (R-TX), James P. McGovern (D-MA), John Lewis (D-GA), George Miller (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Keith Ellison (D-MN) Walter B. Jones (R-NC), and Donna Edwards (D-MD).

1 comment:

  1. Dear Sir / Madam


    I am a PhD student in Pakistan. I want to include one of your anti-drone pictures of protests in my first book entitled 'The Discourse of the Peace Protests'. Kindly allow me to include some of these pictures on this page above. I shall acknowledge your kind consent in my book and the reprint will carry the credit to your organizations or blog .


    Regards

    Riaz Hussain


    PhD Scholar

    The Department of English

    The Islamai University of Bahawalpur

    pls make a reply to this request at mriazraa@gmail.com


    ReplyDelete