The U.S. drone program is a moral disaster. Supposedly cheaper and more accurate than conventional air attacks, drone strikes are in fact rife with errors, with deadly consequences. From Yemen to Libya to Pakistan, the sky itself has become a source of fear for ordinary people—fear that bears an American insignia.
In the nearly two decades since U.S. drone strikes began, they have become a favorite tool of U.S. military policy. Throughout, the CIA’s drones program has been shrouded in secrecy. We often know very little about when and where missiles are fired in our name.
The Obama administration eventually took some steps to rein in drone strikes, increase accountability and transfer control over drone warfare exclusively to the Department of Defense. Over the past two years, the Trump administration has dramatically expanded its use of drones and rolled back what little transparency we had gained.
Today, FCNL Executive Secretary Diane Randall spoke at a faith rally against drones. The interfaith witness took place outside the offices of General Atomics, the company that makes the Predator and Reaper drones.
“Drone strikes that include the killing of civilians is counter to people of all faiths, who find meaning in our relationships to each other, our common humanity and God,” Randall said. “It is time—nearly 20 years after our first lethal drone strikes—to acknowledge that this harmful drone program should end. It is immoral, unethical, and prolongs the United States in endless wars.”
The first step is ending the CIA’s secretive program. Tell Congress: end CIA drone strikes.
