Medea Benjamin
With the CIA and the US military using drones around the world for killing and spying, the organisation CODEPINK, based in the United States, has launched a campaign to stop this proliferation both overseas and here at home.
Drone warfare raises a series of new concerns as the latest method of waging war in the 21st century. It is presented to the people in the US as a precise way to “get the bad guys” without risking the lives of its own people, which is why 82 percent of people in the US in a March 2012 poll supported drone attacks against terrorist suspects. The truth is that drone attacks kill many innocent people, radicalise the local population and increase anti-US sentiment and a desire for revenge. Drone warfare makes it easy for the president—any president—to get involved in conflicts without consulting Congress or the people. The US notion that the United States can attack any suspect, anywhere, violates international law and sets a terrible precedent for the rest of the world. Drones have also been used to kill US citizens overseas, violating any semblance of due process, and plans are underway for the widespread use of drones by police departments and other government agencies here at home.