Friday, August 15, 2014

Rep. Jared Polis: Support the "Come Clean on Drones Killing" Bill!

In March, 2013, Rep. Jared Polis (CO-2) co-sponsored HR 637 - "a bill to provide civil liberties and privacy protections for Americans against the unmanned aerial vehicles." (See "First Two Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Support Anti-Drone Legislation")

Now a bill is pending in Congress -- the The Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (HR 4372) -- also known as the "Come Clean on Drone Killing" Act. At this writing, quite a few of Rep. Polis' fellow progressive caucus members have become co-sponsors for the bill. So where is Rep. Polis?

Rep. Polis' constituents need to contact him and urge him to co-sponsor the bill today.

Additional resources to help:

Identify your member of Congress

Example letter to a member of Congress in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)


Related posts

First Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) called the U.S. on the carpet for dodging the call from the international community to come clean about its drone killings. Then Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. So ... are we finally going to get the truth?

(See REAL Progressives Demand that the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings)



Cadets at the Air Force Academy are being rapidly integrated into the U.S. drone warfare system.

(See Colorado: Rocky Mountain High . . . and Drones )




A 2013 U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)








Saturday, July 12, 2014

Colorado: Rocky Mountain High . . . and Drones



According to the Department of Defense Report to Congress on Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training, Operations, and Sustainability (April 2012), Colorado has three (3) locations that have been designated as potential basing locations for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) [i.e. drones] (p. 8 ff.).

Notably, cadets at the Air Force Academy are being rapidly integrated into the U.S. drone warfare system. (See Air Force Times, November 9, 2013 "Academy cadets become UAV instructors" by Stephen Losey)

The table below gives information on the types of drones that are proposed for basing at each location.


BASE Predator/Reaper type Shadow/Raven type Other
Air Force Academy Aerosonde, Rascal, Alpha 60
Fort Carson MQ1B, MQ9A RQ-11B, RQ-7B
Pinon Canyon RQ-11B, RQ-7B

How long will it be before you see and hear drones overhead?