MODERN WARFARE: THE TRUTH ABOUT DRONES

THE CURVE IN THE FORUM, MILLENIUM PLAIN, NORWICH

WEDNESDAY 15^TH MAY 7pm

All welcome – Admission Free

SPEAKER CHRIS COLE from Drone Wars UK outlines why the rise of the drones must be confronted.

This spring, the UK is doubling its number of armed Reaper drones in Afghanistan and for the first time is operating drones over Afghanistan from a new facility at RAF Waddington near Lincoln . It’s time to end this remote high-tech form of killing.

On Saturday 26^th April hundreds of protesters marched to the UK ‘s new drone headquarters at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire to call for a drone ban. The event was supported by Drone Wars UK, War On Want, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Stop the War Coaltiion.

Previously, the RAF had been piloting the unmanned aircraft in attacks against Afghanistan from the Creech airforce base in Nevada . Missile-carrying Reaper aircraft missions started earlier that week from Waddington.

Although marketed as a precision weapon, drone attacks are known to have murdered large numbers of innocent civilians, including children.

“I think there’s something quite sinister about the idea that military personnel in Lincolnshire can press a button and take out and kill unnamed targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan or wherever,” said Chris Nineham, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition.

CND’s Kate Hudson said “its time to end this remote killing before even more innocent civilians are slaughtered … in this barbarous form of high-tech killing.”

Over the past four years, the US has launched hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan , Yemen , Somalia and Libya with reliable reports showing thousands of people have been killed, including hundreds of children. In Afghanistan where the US and UK have launched over 1,500 drone attacks it is simply not known how many people have perished in these strikes. While in Gaza , many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli drone attacks.

Drones have become the latest weapon of choice in the so-called war on terror. Drones make it much easier for politicians to launch military intervention and assassinate suspects anywhere in the world. Drones are making the world a much more dangerous place

This event is being organised by Norwich Stop the War Coalition.

For requests to interview Chris Cole or more information contact Frank on 01493 664499

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