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Indianapolis: Hoosiers Protest Raytheon Role in Drone Killings

On Friday, September 14, 2012, peace and justice activists in Indiana were at the Raytheon facility in Indianapolis to protest the company's role in drone killings.

As one protester, Carl, said, we need to keep urging people to resist -- "as long as the American people don't stand up and say "NO!" to this military machine we've created, the military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned us about, which is even worse now." Until then, he continued, it will be U.S. taxpayers "that are killing the people of Libya, and Syria, and Yemen, and Pakistan, and in Afghanistan, and in the Philippines. and in Somalia. All over the world, our drones our killing people in countries we haven't even declared war with."

Another protester, Tim, explained, "We believe that as these drones are being used, we are creating endless enemies around the world." Of great importance, he added, is that the unmanned drones allow the U.S. government to operate clandestinely in other countries, conducting hostilities in secret. "The American people aren't aware of what's going on in their name, as civilians are being killed," he explained. For details on victims of U.S. drone killings, he recommended people look at the reports compiled by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London.

Long-time activist JoAnne Lingle explained, "The purpose of this project is to educate people.We want the citizens of the United States to understand the long view of these drones. I am going to be part of a delegation going to Pakistan, where we're killing the most people -- the most civilians -- and we're going on a peace march in Islamabad, and we're also going to be interviewing families of drone victims, and we're going to be bringing their stories back to the U.S.A., and I hope to be able to speak to groups of people and bring the stories of the families who have lost loved ones by these drones." Lingle said that, after her trip to Pakistan, she will also be traveling to Kurdistan in Northern Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). She's been involved with CPT since 1997.

View the full video of interviews with particiants in the Raytheon protest.

The Raytheon protest was part of the ongoing efforts of people in Indianapolis and across Indiana to stop the drones.

RELATED STORY: Read about the protest by members of CodePINK, Occupy Tampa, and others at the Raytheon facility in Largo, FL, on August 23, 2012 -- Why We Need to STOP the Raytheon Drones Killing Machine .

The Raytheon protest was part of the ongoing efforts of people
in Indianapolis and across Indiana to stop the drones.

My visits to Pakistan and Kurdistan

UPDATES:
Day 1 in Pakistan: Report from Code Pink Delegation
Day Two in Pakistan: October 4 Press Conference
Day Three in Pakistan: October 5, Preparing to March
Days Four/Five in Pakistan: To the Tribal Areas!
Day Six in Pakistan: October 8 - Day after the Peace March
Day Seven in Pakistan: October 9 - Day of Fasting to remember
the Children killed by Drone Attacks
Day Eight in Pakistan: Our Final Day - Farewell Islamabad!

by JoAnne Lingle

I will be a participant in Code Pink's delegation to Pakistan October 3-10. The delegation is a humanitarian mission to meet with victims and families of victims of drone* strikes.

After the International Drone Summit sponsored by CodePink in DC last April, we were invited by our friends in Pakistan to organize a Peace Delegation to Pakistan. As citizen diplomats from the United States, the delegation will join a peace march with survivors of U.S. drone attacks, major political figures, and thousands of Pakistanis to call for an end to the drone warfare killing.

On the Peace March, we will be traveling from Islamabad to the tribal areas of the capital of Waziristan, Miramshah, a 200 mile trip, the areas hit by drone strikes. We are willing to take the risks involved in traveling to this region. As the political situation is constantly changing, we will be flexible and ready to follow the lead of our hosts on the ground.

We will be closely monitored by Pakistani intelligence agencies to watch what we are doing. And the CIA, directly and through their contractors. No political party would be against us; on the contrary they all welcome us. And, we will be working with the most popular person in Pakistan right now: Imran Khan.

We want to reach out to the people there to show that we care about their lives; we want to show the American public how civilians are being targeted by drones; we want to come back to the US and tell the stories of drone victims. Our larger goal is to stop the drone strikes.

We will be working with PTI, which is the political party of Imran Khan, other anti-war groups with large networks in Waziristan and the surrounding area, the legal group called the Foundation for Fundamental Rights and the local Pakistani chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Our itinerary will look something like this:

October 3-4: Arrive in Islamabad, orientation, meetings
> See: Day 1 in Pakistan: Report from Code Pink Delegation
> See: Day Two in Pakistan: October 4 Press Conference

October 5: Rally in Islamabad
> See: Day Three in Pakistan: October 5, Preparing to March

October 6: Leave for Waziristan

October 7: Peace March
> See: Days Four/Five in Pakistan: To the Tribal Areas!

October 8: Return to Islamabad
>See: Day Six in Pakistan: October 8 - Day after the Peace March
>See: Day Seven in Pakistan: October 9 - Day of Fasting to remember the Children killed by Drone Attacks

October 9: Visits/meetings
>See: Day Eight in Pakistan: Our Final Day - Farewell Islamabad!

October 10: Visits/meetings
October 11: Delegation leaves

However, a few friends and I will stay for 4-5 days after the delegation, visiting Lahore, Kashmir and other places deemed somewhat safe.

From Islamabad, I fly to Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan in N. Iraq to work with CPT until November 18. I’ll be home just in time for Thanksgiving!

If anyone would like to be added to my email list, you can contact me at jalingle [at] earthlink.net

With hope for a more peaceful world,

JoAnne


*Drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) have become the signature weapons of the Obama administration’s air strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Drones scout over the two countries launching Hellfire missiles into the region many times missing their intended targets, resulting in the deaths of many innocent people including children.

* * * * *

Read more about JoAnne Lingle's protest activity against drones and other antiwar activity:

Indianapolis: Hoosiers Protest Raytheon Role in Drone Killings

Dan Carpenter in Indystar, Warring with the stars - "[T]he Indiana Drone Project ... holds demonstrations and talks accompanied by a scale model of the remote-control aircraft used to kill people thousands of miles away whom the Pentagon and President Barack Obama have labeled as threats. How do they know, sitting at a console in New York and lining up a village gathering in Pakistan, that it's bad guys they're taking out? They don't, say critics, including human rights groups, government officials and residents of targeted areas in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. They tell of killings and maimings of dozens of non-militants, children among them, a collateral toll the U.S. says it tries to minimize."

Dan Carpenter in Indystar, Often busted, ever free - "A 74-year-old grandmother from Indianapolis was in the gallery when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta began his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee regarding the Obama administration's plan to pull troops out of Iraq by year's end . . . ."


Related posts

Our first meeting was with Shahzad Akbar and his team from the Foundation for Fundamental Rights (FFR), our host organization. Shahzad gave a general orientation about the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and how drones endanger U.S. National Security.

(See Day 1 in Pakistan: Report from Code Pink Delegation )

Kareem said, "We are not Taliban, Al Quaeda or terrorists. Our culture, education, everything is disturbed. Many have left for other cities. They should arrest the criminals, not kill seven civilians for every militant. When 40 elders were killed by drone strikes during a jirga (a decision making body) in Datta Khel, March 17, 2011, the fire lasted one week. To this day, U.S. officials insist that all those killed were militants."

(See Day Two in Pakistan: October 4 Press Conference )

Jennifer brought seven drone victims from Waziristan to tell their stories. We listened as we heard about their every day terror - how collaborators put chips on door steps to mark victims, causing distrust in communities. Because drones usually attack groups of people, Waziris are afraid to go to funerals and weddings. Most family compounds consist of 60-70 people so when a drone hits, many are killed.

(See Day Three in Pakistan: October 5, Preparing to March )

All along the road we traveled, people were lined up with banners that said "Welcome" and "No Drones" in English. It was apparent people knew who were in the buses. Rallys were held at every town and bus stop. Traffic was jammed, often causing us to be at a stand still and turning the 6 hr journey into 13 hrs with only two restroom stops.

(See Days Four/Five in Pakistan: To the Tribal Areas! )

Although we were disappointed to have been prevented by the Pakistani government from going into the Tribal Areas of Waziristan, we were heartened to hear the drone issue had been pushed forward by the Peace March. As one Pakistani woman said to us, "Your coming to Pakistan has touched so many hearts that you cannot even imagine! You were able to do what hundreds of millions of dollars spent by USAID in TV ads to win hearts and minds in Pakistan has failed to achieve!"

(See Day Six in Pakistan: October 8 - Day after the Peace March )

We scurried to cover the Gazebo with our signs of "No Drones", "When Drones Fly, Children Die" and "Code Pink Delegation for Peace". It wasn't long before a crowd gathered and we began to have conversations with lots of people. Some even began to fast with us.

(See Day Seven in Pakistan: October 9 - Day of Fasting to remember the Children killed by Drone Attacks )

How could we possibly forget the people we met who had lost so much - those who were putting themselves at risk by telling us their stories. And how could we forget this message one of our delegates received, "And thank you. Every Pashtun in Pakistan loves you for standing with us in solidarity. When we have been pretty much forsaken by our own government. I had relatives that saw your peace march through DI khan, and it brought us hope for the first time in many years of insanity."

(See Day Eight in Pakistan: Our Final Day - Farewell Islamabad! )

Call for "No Drones" in Indiana Colleges, Universities, and Research Institutions

Friends,

A national call has been made for “April Days of Action” to focus on three key components of U.S. drone work: Drone Manufacturers, Drone Bases in the U.S., and Drone Research. (See the list about nationwide actions and post your own planned actions for April.)

Given the fact that drones are now the primary weapons of warfare used by the US, and for surveillance both domestic and abroad, the research and development of this warfare is growing rapidly at academic institutions, in our towns and neighborhoods. Drones are the perfect instrument for endless war that kills civilians, even as they target “militants” in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

Academic institutions often receive large grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, enabling them to build labs within schools of engineering, for instance. We are well aware that without this research in robotics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and the accompanying accessories, these drone warfare projects would probably not take place. So there is an interdependent relationship between the universities and the U.S. government and or its Department of Defense and CIA. (CIA drones are used in countries with which the U.S. is not “at war”, ie Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, and others.)

While universities tend to publicize some information on their respective websites regarding the drone work, it is most often said to be for non-military purposes. And there are students working in the labs who are convinced that all the research is for humanitarian purposes. However, history has told us that non-military can quickly and easily become military. Moreover research has shown drones make mistakes on recognizing their targets.

We are therefore asking organizations and individuals, nationwide, to explore any drone research that might be going on at their local university. We are calling for local actions between April 16 and 18, 2013 (Suggested actions are listed below) Our limited research into University and Academic UAV programs indicates that research centers are operating in Indiana:

Ross Hulman Institute of Technology - Terre Haute
University of Notre Dame - South Bend

Before those dates in April we will need to know what information you have acquired about the research and what actions and events your group is planning.This will be shared among groups in the Network. You can send this information to us at notodrone@gmail.com.

We will have a press committee that will receive your press release and any articles you are able to publish before or after the event.

This project will complement other outreach, education and action projects that will be launched in April, focusing on drone bases, April 27-28 and drone manufacturers , April 4-6.

Suggested actions:

1. Learn what research is being done by searching on a university website. Look especially at the Engineering Dept. 
2. Organize a forum, preferably on campus, with speakers and discussion. Be sure to publicize in campus newspapers, and possibly include a professor as one of the speakers. Also include local activists.
3. Plan a small meeting with the appropriate persons in the department working on drone research, both professors and students.
4. Hold vigils and leaflet on or close to the campus, as well as in town.
5. Let us know if you need further tools for your research.

Thanks in advance for your reply to notodrone@gmail.com.

With all good wishes,

Marge Van Cleef, WILPF, Philadelphia
Leila Zand, For USA
Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence


Related posts

 Do we really want the American heartland serving as the brain-trust for the U.S. global project of drone surveillance and killing?

Here is a round-up of research, development, and training activity connected to drones at Midwest colleges and universities. I've indicated those schools that are land-grant universities. There appears to be a high concentration of drone work at land-grant universities.

(See Do We Have a Drone Problem at Midwest Colleges and Universities? )



What are some of the forms that campus activism might take? Since Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has a contract to do drone research, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR], on May 1, sent a letter to Ronald J. Daniels, JHU president, and Dr. Ralph Semmel, director of the APL, seeking a meeting . . . .

(See Anti-Killer Drone Activists Seek Meeting with Johns Hopkins University President ) 

Preliminary research into University and Academic UAV programs indicates that a research centers are operating in dozens of locations.

(See List of U.S. Drone Research Sites)

Lambert to Clergy: On Drones, "Silence is Betrayal"

Indiana antiwar activist Dave Lambert threw down the gauntlet in an opinion piece published Friday in the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel:

On April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his antiwar speech at Riverside Church to an audience of Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam. You can read it on the Web at www.tinyurl.com/mlk1967. In that speech, entitled “Beyond Vietnam,” he said that “silence is betrayal.” He was imploring members of the clergy, as well as lay people, to speak out against the war, which he considered obscene and “an enemy of the poor.”

Today, we have no one of his prominence speaking out against the war in Afghanistan, now in its 12th year, nor against the illegal use of drones. Unfortunate.

Lambert continued: "Dr King, at Riverside, said 'the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today (is) my own government.' It would be wonderful, in my estimation, if caring clergy and lay people could heed Dr. King’s message and speak out against the slaughter in the name of 'fighting terrorism.' (Emphasis added.)

(Read the full opinion piece here: Speak out against the slaughter inflicted by 'fighting terrorism'.)

Dave Lambert is a member of Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, and for the past few months, he has been transporting a one-fifth model of a Reaper drone from Know Drones to towns and cities throughout Indiana, and handing out information leaflets, "in an effort to educate people about what their tax dollars are paying for as well as the wanton destruction this machine of war causes." You can see more of Dave Lambert's work on the Indiana Drones Project blogsite:

Veterans Day in Angola, Indiana: STOP THE DRONES NOW!

Indianapolis: Hoosiers Protest Raytheon Role in Drone Killings

Veterans Day in Angola, Indiana: STOP THE DRONES NOW!

This latest demonstration takes place in the small conservative town of Angola, Indiana, hosted by Women in Black. If they can do it there, you can do it anywhere.

"STOP THE DRONES NOW!"
Veterans Day, 2012, Demonstration
Angola, Indiana

War - What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

What are YOU prepared to do?

In Indiana, Manchester U Peace Studies Takes on the Drone Issue

The Peace Studies program at Manchester University (North Manchester, IN) has taken on the issue of drones.

With the help of the Indiana Drones Project, Hoosiers for Peace and Justice, and local activist Cliff Kindy, leaders at Manchester arranged to bring the drone replica supplied by Know Drones and hold a series of presentations and discussions. As reported in the Manchester University Oak Leaves,

According to peace studies coordinator Becca Creath, the model drone was intended to “spark a conversation” about the use of drones domestically and internationally. “The purpose of the model drone is partly to raise awareness about the fact that the U.S. government is using drones,” she said. “We wanted it to be an opportunity to spark a conversation about how we use [drones] and why we use them."

According to the Oak Leaves report, "Three classes dedicated class time to visiting the drone—two international politics classes and one first-year seminar—and many students took time out of their busy schedules to chat about the drone."

In addition to bringing home the effect of drone killings on victims abroad, the discussions about drones at Manchester helped bring attention to another of the "dirty secrets" of the U.S. drone war: the psychological damage done to the people operating them:

Both Creath and Kindy stressed that drone operators still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder despite operating from a remote location. This was an issue that hit close to home for Manchester’s student body. According to Kindy, four students had friends or family members that operated a drone, and three of those suffered from post-traumatic stress.

Before the drone left North Manchester, the town had a chance to join in on the conversation when the drone appeared at the local farmer’s market.