USA: Air Force Times runs ad urging drone pilots to disobey orders

KnowDrones, a campaigning group working to ban drones, placed an advert in the Air Force Times on September 14, 2015, which carried a message from 54 U.S. military veterans urging U.S. drone operators to refuse orders to fly drone surveillance and attack missions.

When asked why a drone operator should refuse to fly a mission, KnowDrones coordinator Nick  Mottern replied: "One answer would be, 'To save your soul.' Another answer would be, 'To not kill people who are being targeted without any due process.' There are higher laws than military law."

The ad was supported by Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink and Veterans for Peace, World Can't Wait, Mennonite 1040 for Peace Committee; War Is a Crime.com and WorldBeyondWar.com and many people who contributed on GoFundMe and in response to appeals at the annual Kateri and Veterans for Peace conferences.

The ad follows an open letter earlier last year in which KnowDrones organised 45 veterans to sign a letter urging drone pilots to stand dow.

Simultaneously, they are sponsoring short adverts on TV stations close to drones bases in the states. You can watch it here (trigger warnings on the video: images of people killed by drones).

For updates and to support the campaign, visit http://www.knowdrones.com/2015/09/report-on-the-refuse-to-fly-campaign.html#

Sources: AirForceTimes, Group urges drone operators to refuse orders to fly, 17 June 2015; KnowDrones, AIR FORCE TIMES RUNS VETERANS AD URGING DRONE OPERATORS: “REFUSE TO FLY”, 30 July 2015; Russia Today, Air Force Times runs ad urging drone pilots to disobey orders, 19 September 2015