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- Predators & Reapers -
Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Ground the Drones Lest we Reap the Whirlwind...
Information on Drone Resistance

Predators and Reapers are remotely controlled, hunter-killer, unmanned aerial vehicles currently operated out of several bases in the USA (including Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The United States Air Force flies these drones in multiple countries for surveillance and bombing/assassinations.

This webpage has links to articles for educational purposes regarding this expanding field of warfare. They are organized along the lines of presentations about the RPA/UAV/armed-drone issue and NDE's work for peace in opposition to these new killing machines.


I. Overview: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (UAV) and the Predator Series Drones

  1. Drone force expands to 38 machines constantly in the air
  2. MQ-9 Reaper  MQ-1 Predator  List of UAVs | Wikipedia
  3. Predator Strike Videos | U.S. Air Forces Central
  4. Drone Wars: The race is on to build the next combat unmanned aerial vehicle. Brian Wingfield, Forbes, June 1, 2009
  5. Point. Click. Kill: Inside The Air Force's Frantic Unmanned Reinvention | Popular Science, August 18, 2009
  6. Drone Update | NY Times December 2009

II. UAVs and the Militarization of Robotics

  1. 'Wired For War' Explores Robots On The Battlefield | NPR
  2. P.W. Singer interview with Amy Goodman | Democracy Now
  3. P.W. Singer | The Daily Show | Comedy Central
  4. US Raising Status of Drone Pilots | Chicago Tribune, June 10, 2009
  5. State of Nevada - Robots on the Battlefield | mp3: Download
    P.W. Singer, author and Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative, Brookings Institute ... on whether nations could be more likely to go to war if robots continue to replace humans on and above the battlefield.
  6. Weapons get smaller, deadlier at China Lake, by Peter Pae, L.A. Times, April 20, 2009

III. U.S. Strikes Trade Long-Term Potential for Peace for Short-Term Safety of Troops

  1. UAV "pilots" and Sensor operators can still develop PTSD and other problems despite remote location far from battlefield
    1. Daily transition between battle, home takes a toll on drone operators By Megan McCloskey, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Tuesday, October 27, 2009
      KNPR State of Nevada interview with Megan McCloskey about this (and the following) article,
      Nov. 5, 2009
    2. Charting a new Course: Air Force sees culture shift as drone mission gains momentum By Megan McCloskey, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Tuesday, October 27, 2009
    3. Predator pilots' stress far from remote By Scott Lindlaw, Aug. 08, 2008 Las Vegas Review-Journal
  2. Loss of honor in eyes of Pashtun and other people of the region induces counter-attacks for the long run
    1. TTP Leader: Lahore Was Retaliation for Drone Strikes, Eyes US Targets | Anti-War.News, March 31, 2009
    2. Rival Taliban Leaders Unite as US widens Pakistan Attacks | Thaindian News, February 22, 2009
    3. The Downside of Letting Robots Do the Bombing | The New York Times, March 21, 2009
  3. Psychological effects on communities of being surveiled (or as in a "panopticon," of knowing one might be watched.
    1. Filling the Skies with Assasins | TomDispatch.com
    2. UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, Philip Alston: Record AfPak Drone Attacks Under Obama May Violate International Law Democracy Now! interview by Amy Goodman, Oct. 28, 2009
    3. Jane Mayer: The Risks Of A Remote-Controlled War
      NPR's Fresh Air interview by Terry Gross, Oct. 21, 2009
      The Jane Mayer New Yorker Article's Abstract that was the occasion for the interview

IV. Evidently, Drones are NOT Significantly Better than Carpet-Bombing at Avoiding Civilian Casualties

  1. The Drone Dillemma | Newsweek Dec. 2009
  2. Interactive Map: Airstrikes in Pakistan on the Rise | Center for American Progress
  3. 60 drone hits kill 14 al-Qaeda men, 687 civilians | VotersForPeace, April 10, 2009
  4. Threats, Options, and Risks in Pakistan | By Colin Cookman | Center for American Progress, March 5, 2009
  5. Bill Moyers Journal | Pierre Sprey and Marilyn Young | PBS, January 30, 2009
  6. Assessing the Human Cost of Air Strikes in Iraq | Audio NPR- Fresh Air with Marc Garlasco, April 8, 2008

V. Contributing to the Destabilization of Pakistan

  1. Pakistan dangerously close towards becoming fiefdom of Islamist warlords, terrorists | Thaindian News - April 17, 2009
  2. U.S. expands Pakistani drone-strike zone; 12 dead | Alamgir Bitani Reuters, April 1, 2009
  3. Petraeus: Military Reserves 'Right of Last Resort' for Threats Inside Pakistan | FoxNews.com, March 30, 2009
  4. CENTCOM Advisor gives Pakistan six months before it collapses - March 23, 2009
  5. Cost of air power in Pakistan | Reuters - 20 March 2009
  6. Qureshi says US drone strikes are causing alienation in Pakistan - March 14, 2009
  7. "US Missile Strike" Targets Village in Pakistan | Peter Walker, Guardian UK, October 20, 2008
  8. Revenge of the Drones: An Analysis of Drone Strikes in Pakistan By Peter Bergen, Katherine Tiedemann, New America Foundation, October 19, 2009 [Note: See also the Center for American Progress's interactive map. The research methodology is very similar but points to more civilian casualties.]

VI. Taking Action

  1. Judge Delays Decision on Drone Trespassers | Las Vegas Sun Sept. 2010
  2. Judge Considers Drone Trespassers Carefully | Las Vegas City Life Sept. 2010
  3. Fasting For Peace At Creech AFB | Pahrump's News on the Upcoming Fast NDE Press Release | November 2009
  4. NDE's letter to the 432nd Commander
  5. Syracuse's letter to the 432nd Commander
  6. Peter Ediger's report on the Nellis Air Show
  7. State of Nevada (KNPR)- Peace Walk | mp3: Download
    Fr. Louie Vitale, Kathy Kelly, & Jim Haber discuss NDE's Sacred Peace Walk and the Creech AFB and Nevada Test Site Vigil and Actions
  8. NDE's April actions according to Wired :
    Creech AFB clashes with NDE; this article has a a good amount of background on the issue, with good embedded links.
  9. Ground the Drones . . . Lest We Reap the Whirlwind | Vigil & Action April 1 - 13, 2009
  10. NDE Demonstration at Creech AFB | September 2008
  11. NDE Letter to the Editor | March 2009
  12. See Fr. Louie on Democracy Now!: Tuesday April 14th 2009
  13. Los Angeles Catholic Agitator


Other Articles & Media

C.I.A. Said to Use Outsiders to Put Bombs on Drones | James Risen and Mark Mazzetti, NY Times, August 20, 2009
Greg Mortenson encircles Swat Province, US drones launched from Baluchistan | Not My Tribe
Google sleuths secret CIA drone flights from Baluchistan base | Jeremy Page, The Australian, February 20, 2009
Drones Are Weapons of Choice in Fighting Qaeda | Christopher Drew, The New York Times, March 16, 2009
UAVs protect U.S. troops in Iraq | United Press International, January 28, 2009
U.S. Officials: Al-Qaida Leadership Cadre 'Decimated' | NPR, February 3, 2009
Drone Attacks In Pakistan Under Review | NPR, February 2, 2009
Sharif asks Brown to make US shun its drone attack policy - Apr 28, 2009
Pakistan to US: Stop unilateral drone attacks - March 27, 2009
Zardari asks US to honour Pakistan's sovereignty - November 03, 2008
East Pakistan like situation in Swat: Imran - February 13, 2009
Pakistan's Islamic party condemns US plan to expand drone attacks - March 20, 2009
Suspected US airstrike in Pakistan kills three (Second Lead) - April 19, 2009

WAR DRONE KILLERS FLOWN IN NEW MEXICO:
This is a T.V. news report from New Mexico about the increasing use of bases there for UAV control and training. This report includes mention of new combat squadrons coming to Creech AFB in Nevada, necessitating the removal to other bases, including one near Alamogordo NM, of the training squadrons that have also been at Creech.

State of Nevada - Creech Airforce Base | mp3: Download
Colonel Christopher Chambliss, Commander of the 432rd Wing and 432rd Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech AFB Wing of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) including the Predator and Reaper "drones" ... on the first air base dedicated to unmanned planes.

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Air Force: Bases inject $5 billion | 03/11/2009
Demand for Predator spy planes continues: Air Force officer predicts additional need for unmanned aircraft systems   Video | 03/06/2009 (NDE Editorial)
Drone Warriors: British, U.S. Reaper operators fly joint Afghanistan mission | 06/03/2008
Predator will still fly here: Creech base will see planes, though most redeployed | 03/26/2008
Predator focal point of military tug of war | 03/21/2008
Squadron activated at Creech: Focus will be to fix problems with unmanned fleet | 03/06/2008
Predator accidents blamed on crew error | 08/31/2008
Predator aircraft flies into history: Unmanned spy plane logs 400,000 hours of flight time  Video | 08/19/2008
Armed Predator spy plane crashes in Iraq | 12/18/2007
Pilotless aircraft's debut nearing: Reaper to be guided from Nellis to deploy in Iraq, Afghanistan | 07/17/2007
Predator reaches a milestone | 06/27/2007
Reactivation creates wing for remote controlled planes: Ceremony at Creech Air Force Base signals step in spy warfare | 05/02/2007

Las Vegas Sun
Pakistan: Al-Qaida, Taliban are not in Bluchistan | 03/18/2009
Bombs kill 15 in Pakistan; US drone reported down | 03/07/2009
US uses unmanned drones to hunt Somali pirates | 02/15/2009
Taking off at Creech, a better war plane | 08/29/2007
Commander named for Predator group | 07/12/2005
Indian Springs will host drone projects | 03/17/2005



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