"...seems that both Italy and Germany have asked to buy a few MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicles. These, of course, are the killer drones that fire missiles and drop bombs covertly and are credited with quite a few high-value target kills in Pakistan's NWFP." (This quote from defensetech dot org doesn't mention the loss of lives nor that these bombs are often indiscriminate.)
The photo to the right is of Drone positioned for "service" (Israel) Question the necessity of these hellish symbols of modern warfare. See why those with little heart for the "frequent mixture" of people on the ground (militants or not)- not to mention irreplacable buildings and concerns for the environment might be soulessly-charmed by the "looks" of sophisticated power and technology as if with a new toy. GO here Read what Kathy Kelly - who has been in the IDP camps has to say. Kelly is arguably the most respected US Peace Activist of our time. (variously titled - this one gets my attention: "Those who survive Drone attacks may well die slowly" but I want to use Kathy's own website so that you can see she is not a complete stranger to Pakistan nor to other nations where the US has sought to allegedly "help" or agressively "implant" various weaponry with quite mixed and unknown results here You may want to save or bookmark Kelly's remarkable bio for perhaps a later look? here
Pakistani PM Calls for End to US Drone Attacks - Pakistan’s prime minister has renewed calls for an end to US drone attacks on Pakistani soil. On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani released a statement calling for a halt to the attacks shortly after meeting US National Security Adviser James Jones. here
Stop drone air raids, Pakistan tells US
here
US Drones in Pakistan: Both Friend and Foe? (see various comments here - some of course more reflective and informed than others which merely spew hateful ignorance)
LA Times here
Editorial Note from oneheart blogger:
There have been reports much earlier that US drones were "based" in Pakistan and there are some reports that US and Pakistan military operations are still connected in the use of drones "behind the scenes". Perhaps these calls by Pakistan for the US to end drone attacks - as recently publicized across the world - will have some positive effect?
Let's hope and pray this is the case given the horrible results and human rights out cries after other uses of US drones. We in the west, for the most part - have yet to judiciously weigh and ultimately experience the end result of using these unmanned weapons which repeatedly inflame "righteous cause" toward militant terrorism. How obvious this is to any who have personally known the damage first hand or been told by people who have. Just imagine the degree of harm viewed and experienced on the ground - whether or not our media are properly covering these gruesome details.
Drone Attacks are terrible and heart breaking only creating more gap between a Pakistani and an American.If you ask from a common citizen of Pakistan about America ,you will not find any good thoughts.Whether its Bush Or Obama their policies always remain same for Pakistan-- always destructive.
ReplyDeletePresident Gillani asked US to stop Drone attacks and provide us with the technology so that We can kill our people ourselves?? Shame!!
There must be terrorists in Pakistan i agree, and i wish for their immediate destruction as well.But i cry blood tears when the innocent people,the poor people, the cute children have to suffer from these attacks.
Secondly i just wonder if the terrorists are only in Pakistan??No, the all world is on their target.but here comes the next question Why the all terrorists are Muslims and Pakistanis?
Dear ReeBz,
ReplyDeleteYou raise some central questions - I've been askng the same now for over six years...How I cry with you these "blood tears" for all who have to suffer and for the way an entire religion has been too often attacked.
There are hundreds of thousands of small groups and individuals speaking out against these kind of injustices - yes, even in the US - yet while sometimes in unison - the major media knows little of this effort.
Also, there are so many related causes which are all so crucial that energy gets taken up with these (calling for detainees to be properly charged or released, war as a whole to end, prosecution of former Bush lawyers and administration, etc. etc. without end.)
So far I've seen very few movements to stop the drones. This is, perhaps, a fairly new outcry in America - partly thanks to Kathy Kelly with Creative NonViolence, Fransiscan Priests and all the Peace Churches here. How little people know about what is happening on the ground through this wicket technology!
Maybe we could start a Pakistani-American letter/petition to raise our cries together as ONE CRY?
Perhaps we are living in a time when The One God/Allah is showing us we can't always wait, pray and expect our own leaders (particularly in the US) -- no matter how eloquent they sometimes sound -- to do the right thing.
Of course, we also each need to weigh what we can do BEST and when. To choose our "battles" for peace and justice with peace and wisdom - in light of our overall lives. (Our calling, need for training, etc.)
No matter what, we can each find ways to speak creatively and nonviolently for truth, peace and love for all - out of our truest souls as One People the whole world over.
As you have done here, dear ReeBz.
Drones the soulless Frankenstein of steel and metal strikes kills and devours living people of flesh, blood, soul and spirit. People controlling these soulless monsters far and remote from the field of destruction don’t see smoke, remorseful burning of flesh, cry and wailing of mothers for their children, tears of elderly and anguish of youth. They sit in comfort, playing with the remote control play-station a game of death and destruction; with counter meter showing 200 killed today and accumulated total 5213.
ReplyDeleteAkhtar - my very bones shiver on the hot summer day at the chilling images and actualities you raise so vividly. We need to stop this a long yesterday ago. Yet since we didn't, we simply can't allow this to go on.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we do as One People with surely the help of THE ONE - the world around - particularly Americans and Pakistanis right now? What do we do to stop this hell on earth represented by this "Souless Frankenstein of Steel and Metal" - controlled from far away? (so well put, Akhtar!)
Years ago I read articles by people who piloted bombers over Hiroshima who finally turned to nonviolence and shuddered with shame the rest of their lives over how easy it was to ignore the people below. Recently, there's a man who bombed people below in a long ago war who's never at peace with himself... He lives in my town. He shows up at some peace events or stops me in the streets and "confesses" to the horror over and over again.
Now this "far away from the people on the ground" is so much MORE remote than that.
What are we to do? These happenings now - with complicity of our two nations (I fault mostly the US) and the silence of way too many people must also be addressed RIGHT NOW - practically - swift - yet not carelessly and with a long-range view. And all this concurrent with our own spiritual work which must be stronger than ever to support such outward action...
I am in the midst of a word dilemma with this world dilemma - I don't know how to express these two levels and how they must work together and where to begin...so I will try to hone these before I put them here.
Somehow and soon our leaders need to know what we will NOT allow - NOT stomach - and most clearly...from way more than ever have spoken out loud before...
What do you suggest & how do you suggest we do this urgent work?
Here's a letter I just sent to The White House Subject: "DRONES" Perhaps many readers will urge their contacts to write a letter with some of the same concerns?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
US DRONES in Pakistan:
See this item on the Drones and be sure to read the comments to see all the human damage already done by the drones you have sanctioned. Haven't we learned by now that this is no way to earn the respect of the people nor to win hearts and minds? How will the world ever be rid of terrorism by all this killing?
US DRONES in Pakistan: Kathy Kelly - Pakistan PM
http://oneheartforpeace.blogspot.com/2009/06/just-in-see-imran-khan-and-kathy-kelly.html
Soon I plan to send you another email regarding the SECOND category named above which MUST be addressed now if we are to save our nation. But for now, there can be NO MORE compromising regarding torture. Did you outlaw torture? Than why is the same still practiced? Around the world? In our name? Your administration needs to read HARPER'S Magazine - July 2009 for these two articles: Barack HOOVER Obama by Kevin Baker and "YES WE CAN Still Torture: New Evidence from Guantanamo." BY Luke Mitchell. If these two articles don't hone in on the current problems of US leadership - I really don't know what else will?
Recently a woman from Iraqi - I do believe you'd like a lot , Mr. President, said we should support you because you are not going around being blustery and bombastic. Yet at the same time she said we need to leave her country and any others - to take all our weaponry and just LEAVE. How can we support you unless you down the drones, END torture and LEAVE the scenes of war? Enough is enough is enough!
NO MORE WAR, NO MORE TORTURE, NO MORE DRONES. NOW!!!
Yes, we have to speak as ONE people, to me US is only to be blamed for initiating these attacks but the shameless leadership of past and present in Pakistan gets the main brunt. Day in and day out they are telling us that US is approached and told to stop these drone attacks. The whole world knows its mere eyewash. Drones are flying and landing from Pakistan airfields under license to kill from Pakistan government.
ReplyDeleteEnough of claims from any government that this overpowering technology from hell leads to long-term peace - enough of lying from both our nations.
ReplyDeleteThe current US administration should know this will not work. Where is the heart of flesh and the ear which can hear the cries of the smitten from whatever source?
I was at a journalists/photographers program with packed audience of retired grandpas and assorted others near NC Fayetteville's Fort Bragg USA just after "Shock and Awe" (beginning of the US Occupation of Iraq). The photographer said he never enjoyed a "fireworks show" more while he ate his lunch. The photos were not of the damage on the ground - they were of balloon "bunnies" sent to the troops. The entire show was so obscene - not in bunnies but in disregard for the result of such deeds. Those who spoke out against the Occupation were boed and ridiculed.
Do unto others as you would have done unto you...
No, this life doesn't permit perfection - yet we have lost almost all moral paths as a nation and culture -- we've forgotten the most basic and sublime principles...
Given what's been happening through this weaponry for years (including recently in Gaza)--what military experts - what congress - what government - what people can be blind to the reality that in the long run this inhumanity to others will not only kill civilians? This will continue to kill trust unless stopped. How will this murderous activity not fill with bitter hatred and resolve all children who are left bereaved as well as many who see this with their own eyes? What about the children children of the village and even among the displaced who need and want power - who long for a cause - community - religion - and food?
Seeing people die this way will only convince the young that the "real bad guys" operate the most violent equipment and kill dads, babies, neighbors, funeral-goers.
The leaders are definitely facing a dilemma without apparent solution but surely they could rule out the drones for starters! Your count-down above, Ahktar, has been heavy in my heart today.
Let's work together to help stop this insanity!
I hope our cries against torture,war,evil,loss of innocent lives and terror will bring some good effects.
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie for standing for the poor people!
Thanx, ReeBz - so do I hope some good comes of our Common Cry! We will come back to some creative nonviolence...
ReplyDeleteYet for now...it's time for me to concentrate on the beautiful for balance and truth here...
Thank you for the way you tend to seek balance in your writing!
Just one more item which may help Pakistan to stop the use of the drones...See Human Rights Watch today, June 30, 2009 the report from GAZA carefully documented with photos: Precisely Wrong. I may post this today before I turn to much needed balance with more positive items and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThanx so much for the comments!
Just UPDATED and added draft - posted the reports
ReplyDeletefrom GAZA effects of drones in the post just above this one...Precisely Wrong... Hope you will find a way to send letters to your editors in Pakistan with these reports or whatever you decide. Thanx again for the concerns!