Rep. Jim Moran: Support the "Come Clean on Drones Killing" Bill!

Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia will be retiring at the end of the current session.

Notably, the 8th Congressional district of Virginia that Moran represents includes the headquarters of the CIA - one of the principal authors of the U.S. drone killing program. CIA headquarters have been the site of frequent protesters by opponents of drone killings.

Before he finishes his career in Congress, the people of Virginia -- and of the rest of the country -- need Rep. Moran to get strongly behind the bill pending in Congress -- the The Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (HR 4372) -- also known as the "Come Clean on Drone Killing" Act.

As Rep. Moran said recently, "I think we’ve got to be very careful with the use of drones.” (See "Rep. Jim Moran tells NewsChannel 8 he sees few decent U.S. options in volatile Iraq situation," WJLA.com, June 23, 2014)

At this writing, quite a few of Rep. Moran's fellow progressive caucus members have become co-sponsors for HR 4372.  Now we need Rep. Moran!

Rep. Moran's constituents need to contact him and urge him to co-sponsor the bill today.

Additional resources to help:

Identify your member of Congress

Example letter to a member of Congress in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)


Related posts

First Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) called the U.S. on the carpet for dodging the call from the international community to come clean about its drone killings. Then Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. So ... are we finally going to get the truth?

(See REAL Progressives Demand that the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings)

CIA headquarters has been the site of frequent protests by the opponents of U.S. drone assassinations.

(See Bearing witness to drone atrocities at the CIA's doorstep)

A 2013 U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)

JUSTICE DENIED: CITIZEN ACTIVISTS ON BEHALF OF DRONE VICTIMS, LOCKED OUT AND REFUSED ENTRY TO US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

  MARCH 25, 2014

WHO: Members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) have taken action to call attention to, and bring an end to the crimes of the United States Government since the Iraq war began in March 2003.

WHAT: Members of NCNR first brought a criminal complaint against President Obama, CIA Director John Brennan, and others at the CIA who are involved in the drone program to the US Attorney’s office in Alexandria last May when Neil MacBride held the office of US Attorney.  After numerous attempts to follow-up on the complaint, no action was apparently taken.  A copy of the criminal complaint was then sent to the new US Attorney Dana Boente last week.

On Tuesday March 25 six members of NCNR followed up at the US Attorney’s office in person to demand action as drone attacks continue to murder innocent people around the world.  NCNR maintains that the Obama Administration and the CIA drone program are in violation of U.S. and international law. 

When the six activists arrived at the US Attorney’s office at 11:00 am they discovered the doors to the public building were locked.  A security officer, John Buffington, came out and told them that they would not be allowed into the building. 

Citizens standing in front of Attorney Boente's doors, which were
 locked against their indictment of U.S. war crimes.

Then a plain clothes security officer, Francisco Gerard from the US Attorney’s office, came out to speak to them.  He acknowledged that the doors were locked specifically to keep the activists out.  Other members of the public were let into the building while the officer spoke with the 6 activists.  The officer said that they received the complaint and US Attorney Boente would take it under advisement.  After several minutes of speaking with Mr. Gerard the nonviolent activists peacefully left the area.

WHY: The six activists believe it is their responsibility to report crimes, especially extrajudicial killing by the US drones.  There are documented reports from organizations such as Amnesty International and news organizations like the UK based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. They also believe US elected and appointed officials have a duty to investigate these crimes.

Joan Nicholson came from Kennett Square Pennsylvania to join the group, and she said, “As a US citizen I was appalled that we were not given the opportunity to determine the progress of the citizens complaint seeking an indictment against President Obama, CIA Director Brennan, and others responsible for war crimes especially those carried out by the killer drones.”

It is chilling that nonviolent citizen activists would be targeted and locked out of a public building because they want their government held accountable for serious lawbreaking, including war crimes as reported by Amnesty International.

Malachy Kilbride from Arlington, VA explained “We tried to give voice to the victims of US drone strikes and their families by going to government officials responsible for maintaining the rule of law.  But what we encountered was a US government legal system that is literally shutting out those who want to report serious crimes and accept their responsibilities under the law.”

Now that crimes have been reported to the US Attorney’s office they are responsible and will someday be held accountable.  The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance will not give up in their pursuit of this matter.

For more information, contact: Joy First 608-239-4327, Malachy Kilbride 571-501-3729, Max Obuszewski   410-366-1637

THE SPRING DAYS OF DRONE ACTION ARE UPON US! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS OCCURRING NATIONWIDE.

Spring Days of Drone Action, 2014

Bearing witness to drone atrocities at the CIA's doorstep

On Saturday, March 8th, anti-drone war protesters from Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice, Pax Christi Metro DC/Baltimore, Dorothy Day, Langley Hill Friends Meeting and students from Loyola College and local high schools gathered at the main entrance of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia for their 16^th consecutive monthly witness since November, 2012.

Dozens came out to bring the anti-drone message to the Langley community.

Approaching the Langley CIA compound with the drone replica.
 Barbed wire visible on the right.

Demonstrators got the attention of many passersby,
 and received a great deal of encouragement.

                            

People of all ages and backgrounds came together to bear
 witness to the atrocities resulting from drone warfare.

Those present placed stones at the gates of Langley to commemorate
 the many innocent people killed by drones.

"Peace is Priceless." 

16 consecutive months, and the Langley community is still going strong as they refuse to let the CIA hide from the consequences of their actions.

 The nationwide Spring Days of Action Against Drones are just beginning! CLICK HERE to learn about events in your area!

Spring Days of Drone Action 2014

MARK YOUR CALENDER: Holy Week Stations of the Cross, April 14-18, 2014

 Join the Norfolk Catholic Worker and Hampton Roads Pax Christi for a five-day, 50 mile Via Dolorosa that will stop at 14 area military bases in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, the most militarized place on the planet. There will be an hour vigil at each base to remember the crucifixion of Jesus and the crucifixion of humanity in war. Stops will include Norfolk Naval Base, the CIA’s training camp, the home of Navy SEAL Team 6, and the only builder of aircraft carriers in the country. The walk will end on Good Friday at Langley Air Force Base.

Norfolk Naval Base, the largest naval base in the world

Headquarters of Raytheon, a major player in the drone war industry.

Langley Air Force Base, where the Stations of the Cross
 will conclude on Good Friday

For more information, contact Steve Baggarly at williamsbaggarly@gmail.com. To learn more about the nationwide Spring Days of Action, visit http://springdaysofdroneaction.org

April Days of Action Against Drones: Protests at the CIA headquarters and the White House

The April Days of Action Against Drones continued this weekend with demonstrations targeting the agencies and policy-makers most directly responsible for drone assassinations: the CIA and the executive branch. 

  Pax Christi, a religious group devoted to peace, turned out to swell the ranks of those demonstrating in front of the CIA headquarters Saturday morning.

An image of a foreign victim of drone warfare stood as a stern
rebuke to those entering the headquarters on Saturday.

More photos from the CIA headquarters here. Join the demonstrators when they return Saturday, May 11th from 10 to 11:30 A.M.

The centerpiece of the day was a demonstration at the white house that began at noon, drawing massive crowds (see coverage on RT and PressTV plus more photos):

a simple equation: "DRONE STRIKES=WAR CRIMES"

A realistic Predator Drone model hovers ominously
over the seat of executive power.

"STOP KILLER DRONES"

A sea of yellow signs carrying
stark messages for President Obama.

"U.S. Drones Out of Africa, the Middle East, Asia & Everywhere."
An oft-repeated theme of the day emphasized the imperialistic
 overreach facilitated by drone warfare. 

"ISRAELI DRONES OUT OF PALESTINE (AND Everywhere)"

Police attempted to prevent demonstrators from exercising
 their constitutional rights. A heated exchange ensued.

Authorities were powerless to stop demonstrators from
breaching the barricade of yellow "caution" tape.

Veterans for Peace

"DRONES KILL KIDS" 

Rev. Graylan Hager of
Plymouth United Congregational Church of Christ

The march ended with a die-in, in which bloody-shrouded people
 lay in white masks to bring home the impact of civilian casualties
 from drone warfare.

The Saturday demonstration was covered on PressTV, RT, and Liveleak.com. Simultaneously, demonstrators were making the anti-drone message heard in Boston.

Click here to receive e-mails about future anti-drone actions all around the country, and here to see the schedule of April Anti-Drone events around the country.

Activists to CIA: Stop Your Drone Kilings!

On Saturday, December 8, 2013, many people from the DC area gathered outside the CIA headquarters in Northern Virginia to demand an end to immoral U.S. program of murder-by-drone in Pakistan and other countries.

People representing the following groups, together with others, expressed their opposition to the US drone program:

• Code Pink
• Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House
• Episcopal Peace Fellowship-DC
• Langley Hill Friends Meeting
• Northern Virginians for Peace & Justice
• Peace Action Montgomery (MD)
• Pax Christi (several DC area chapters)

Stop Killer Drones!
Code Pink and the drone replica from Know Drones

Workers arriving at CIA HQ encounter protesters

STOP! drone bombings in Pakistan

Pax Christi: War is the not the answer!

Drone Strikes: Illegal Immoral Counter-Productive

At the corner of CIA and Extrajudicial Execution

See the full portfolio of excellent photos of the December 8, 2013, drone protest outside CIA headquarters.

Join this historic resistance to U.S. program 

of murder-by-drone when the protests continue

on January 12, 2013, at 10 a.m. at CIA headquarters.

November 10 in McLean: Mobilization Against Drones

The US Military and the Central Intelligence Agency are killing innocent people, committing extrajudicial executions, and violating international law with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, DRONES, that are destroying the lives of people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Iraq. The use of killer drones is increasing and spreading to other countries. We must hold our government accountable for these acts of terror. Come out and oppose these aerial death squads. Please make a banner so that all our citizens can begin to understand what is being wrought in our names.

Join us outside CIA HQ:

Where: 900 block, Dolly Madison Boulevard, McLean, Virginia
When: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, November 10, 2012

Organized by: Pax Christi, Pentagon Area and Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice

Contact:
Jack McHale, Pax Christi
tel: 703 772 0635
email: jackmchale51@gmail.com