At the dawn of the New Year, we are accustomed to hearing prayers for world peace. An important step the U.S. government could take toward peace and good will in 2014 would be to reveal the names of civilians and “combatants” killed by drones in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
This transparency would show the world that we care about the loss of life from drones, particularly when innocents are killed, as was the recent case in Yemen when 17 members of a wedding party were struck by drones.
As a Yemeni man said who lost relatives from that drone strike: “You cannot continue to behave as if deaths in my family are irrelevant. Your silence only makes matters worse.”
Alas, Sen. Susan Collins voted in the Senate Intelligence Committee against the reporting of those killed by drones. In order for the Senate to pass this legislation, it’s crucial for Sen. Collins to change her vote.
On Dec. 30, Codepink Maine and other peace activists presented a petition to Sen. Collins urging her to change her “no” vote to a “yes” vote on reporting drone casualties.
Pat Taub
Codepink Maine
Portland
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