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

To Drone or Not to Drone? The Strange Choice in Virginia's 2nd District

Is it possible that voters in Virginia's 2nd congressional district will be forced to choose between a "centrist Democrat" -- who is also a retired Navy officer and just also happens to be a big proponent of the U.S. drone buildup -- and a "Tea Party Republican" -- who also happens to have been an opponent of the Obama administration's plan to attack Syria.

(Does it matter that the 2nd district -- surrounding the port of Norfolk and the military installation at Hampton Roads -- is heavily populated by active service families and veterans?)

Suzanne Patrick served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy under President George W. Bush. In June, 2003, she testified before the Senate Banking Committee about the Defense Production Act.  In that testimony, she said

The Act's authority to prioritize was key to the rapid fielding of Predator UAV's armed with Hellfire missiles and the provision to the British military of satellite communications technology essential to the conduct of joint operations in Afghanistan. It was used to procure precision- guided munitions, supplies of which were being exhausted by their greater-than-ever rates of expenditure.

Predator UAV's armed with Hellfire missiles were used for the first time in Afghanistan. They included an upgraded sensor package, the Multi-Spectral Targeting System. The contractor's original delivery date for these systems was March 2003, just a couple months ago. Using DPAS, we jumped this order to the head of the production line, and the contractor was able to deliver three systems in December 2001, 18 months earlier than originally promised. Since that time, we have further used DPAS to accelerate 40 additional Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems. We are all aware of the dramatic impact that unmanned Predators had in waging war in Afghanistan, and most recently in Iraq.

It seems odd to suggest that Patrick's opponent in the 2nd district, Republican incumbent Scott Rigell, may be the "dove" in this race. However, when the Obama administration was on the verge of attacking Syria, Rigell was one of the members of Congress that insisted that Congress be consulted. "Rigell authored one of the congressional letters, demanding the president come before Congress and put forth the necessary information so the lawmakers can make an informed vote," Politico reported.

Despite being characterized as someone who entered office on the wave of Tea Party victories in 2010, Rigell professes pride in his independence of judgement and his willingness to stick to principled stands, even if it leads his constituents to abandon him at the polls.  (See NPR Interview: Audie Cornish speaks with Rep. Scott Rigell, Republican of Virginia, who says he will vote for the Senate plan to end up the government shutdown and increase the debt ceiling.)

At the same time, Rigell is a member of the Unmanned Systems Caucus, the so-called "drones caucus" in the House. One wonders if he's really capable of being objective on drones.

Patrick and Rigell both come from military families: she describes herself as a "fourth-generation military officer" and Rigell speaks proudly of his "Iwo Jima Marine" father and the "yes-sir, no-sir home" he grew up in.

And we don't really know where exactly Patrick and Rigell, respectively, stand on the burning issues of surveillance, government secrecy, and drone assassination being practiced by the (Democratic) Obama administration.

So here's a modest proposal:  how about if they tell us?

Related posts


There will be elections for 435 House seats in 2014. In at least some of those races, U.S. surveillance, secrecy, and assassinations will be an issue.

Herewith an Insider's Guide to the 7 S's (surveillance, secrecy, and assassinations) in the 2014 Midterms.

(See Will the 2014 Midterms be a Referendum on Obama's Surveillance, Secrecy, and Assassinations? )

Just this past June, people around the country and around the world were startled to hear that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, had crashed in Maryland. "The RQ-4A Global Hawk drone crashed during a routine training flight from Naval Air Station Patuxent River," reported CNN.

(See Maryland Drone Experience A Harbinger for U.S.A.? )

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.

Call for "No Drones" in Virginia 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 at research centers are operating in Virginia:

Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond
Virginia Tech - Blacksburg

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

January 21: Protest Drones in DC on Inauguration Day

Spread the word and join us in the planning and participating!

“Let us realize the arc
of the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friends,

We invite your organization to participate in the Arc of Justice Parade in Washington, DC, on Monday, January 21st, 2013.

Set to coincide with the Presidential Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the third anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, the Arc of Justice rally and parade will be a determined but hopeful expression of our concern and dissent against the wars, occupations, loss of civil liberties, overwhelming corporate and big money power over our lives, environmental degradation, and many other important issues mostly abused, ignored, or minimized by recent administrations and Congress.

It is a call to action to those in power and to those who would join us to create real change and to renew our drive to build a strong, cohesive peace and to build lasting justice and civil rights movements.

The parade route will begin at Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park) with a rally from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. At 10:00 AM we will begin to proceed down 16th Street NW to K Street NW where we will disband, some to continue to the Inauguration area, the parade route, or back to the rally site.

We are inviting people and organizations working on issues around: 1. Human rights (here and abroad); 2. Truth justice, and accountability; 3. Military might, preemptive wars, and empire building; 4. The power of the corporations and the super wealthy; and 5.The degradation of our environment. If you are not already in a coalition with other people and organizations working in your general area, we see the weekend before Inauguration Day as an important time to meet and plan for the future. Please confer with your associates and let us know how we can help make your participation work.

Imagine if January 21st were a day where only the wealthy and elite, the bankers, the corporate profiteers, the war hawks, and the unquestioning supporters of those in office were the only people in sight, leaving the impression that the work is done and the decisions final.

We cannot stay home and hope and wait for change. With strong organizing, coalition building, and the creative drive of activists such as you, the vitally needed changes will become reality. This is why our voices and bodies are needed in the streets with the Arc of Justice Coalition on January 21, 2013, to recommit ourselves to creating a society based on justice for all.

Join us and let’s organize together! Please email us at arcofjustice2013@gmail.com and we will contact you with additional details. We welcome your assistance and support in outreach, media, logistical preparations, planning, and database building.

And SO important: Please forward this invitation to others people and organizations you know who may want to join us.

Let us work together to realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Listen to our theme song at http://www.amycarolwebb.com/music-73.html . The lyrics begin “I will stand with you, will you stand with me? We will be the change that we hope to see” .

We hope that you will join us on January 21st in our continued effort to make Dr. King’s prophetic quote a reality.

Yours in peace,

Co-Chairs:

Malachy Kilbride
Peace & social justice activist affiliated with the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, Northern Virginians for Peace & Justice, Witness Against Torture, and the Bradley Manning Support Network

Joan Stallard
CodePink DC Coordinator, MoveOn DC Coordinator, Move to Amend, Coalition on Corporate Power, Bradley Manning Support Network, WILPF

Our email: arcofjustice2013@gmail.com

Or follow us on Twitter: @arcofjustice13

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