Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2015 0:56:56 GMT -5
Former Air Force airmen are speaking out against America's use of drone warfare, calling the military drone program "morally outrageous" and "one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism and destabilization around the world."
In interviews with NBC News, three former servicemen — who together have 15 years of military drone experience — decried the civilian cost of drone strikes and called on President Obama to "turn this around" before he leaves office.
"We were very callous about any real collateral damage," said Michael Haas, 29, who worked as both a drone operator and instructor. "Whenever that possibility came up, most of the time it was a 'guilt by association' or sometimes we didn't even consider other people that were on screen."
Alongside a former drone operator who was not available to speak with NBC News, the three self-described whistleblowers also wrote a letter to President Obama, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and CIA Director John Brennan in which they link drone strikes to the rise of ISIS and to the recent attacks in Paris. For terrorists, they wrote, drone attacks are "a fundamental recruiting tool similar to Guantanamo Bay."
In interviews with NBC News, three former servicemen — who together have 15 years of military drone experience — decried the civilian cost of drone strikes and called on President Obama to "turn this around" before he leaves office.
"We were very callous about any real collateral damage," said Michael Haas, 29, who worked as both a drone operator and instructor. "Whenever that possibility came up, most of the time it was a 'guilt by association' or sometimes we didn't even consider other people that were on screen."
Alongside a former drone operator who was not available to speak with NBC News, the three self-described whistleblowers also wrote a letter to President Obama, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and CIA Director John Brennan in which they link drone strikes to the rise of ISIS and to the recent attacks in Paris. For terrorists, they wrote, drone attacks are "a fundamental recruiting tool similar to Guantanamo Bay."
Read More: Former Drone Pilots Denounce 'Morally Outrageous' Program - NBC News
The airmen also makes mention in the interviews, that there are the constant threat of killing civilians along side the militants, which have increased since Obama came into the presidency.
Personally, I don't mind the drone program that the military uses, partly because it helps prevent having to send our soldiers into an area, that might get them killed. But I do agree that they need to try to prevent as much civilian deaths as they can, so that it doesn't do what they believe is happening because of it.
