Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Press Release with info on Des Moines Drone Command Center


Compiled by
Nick Mottern <nickmottern@gmail.com>
KnowDrones https://www.knowdrones.com/


Here is evidence of the DM Drone Command Centers ongoing human rights and war crime violations according to the 2018 IA Dept of Public Defense Annual Report:

"The 124th Attack Squadron flew the MQ-9 for 357 sorties which resulted in 15 kinetic events and fully met Combatant Commander's intent."

A "kinetic event" is an attack, and the report that the 124th fully met a commander's intent appears to mean the targets were killed. Thus, it appears that the 124th Attack Squadron flew, on average, about one sortie per day in fiscal 2018, and conducted a little more than one attack per month.

A sortie usually involves four killer drones each although it could involve more depending on the mission, and possibly involve other drone control centers.

(The fiscal year for Iowa government runs from July 1 to the following June 30 and is numbered for the year in which it ends. So this report covers Air Guard operations for the period of July 1, 2017, to June 30 2018. It could not find a fiscal 2019 report on line; it is probably not completed yet.)

The report also said the 132d Wing, of which the 124th Attack Squadron is part, piloted MQ-9 in the air for 7,070 hours in fiscal year 2018, which amounts to 24 hours a day for nearly 300 days. Some of this time may have been for reconnaissance, but given that the number of sorties was nearly one a day, it appears possible that most of these hours were occupied with stalking for the kill.

The report said the 132d had global responsibilities, not specifying where the attacks took place.

The fiscal 2017 report lists 7,209 MQ-9 hours for the 132d, but does not report on kinetic events; the fiscal 2016 report lists 6,600 hours and has no report of kinetic events.

Almost certainly the Air Guard will say that the sorties were largely or completely being flown in support of U.S. troops on the ground and that the drone attacks save American lives. This has been the standard defense. Even if this were true, we have the larger issue that the U.S. military should not be fighting wars in support of corporate resource extraction and the fact that using killer drones makes these wars seem to have no consequences to the American public while killing and terrorizing people overseas.

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If you agree with Nick, that today’s US lead Armed Drone War Fair is immoral, unjust and illegal, as International Law and our Just War traditions would affirm, join Nick and the KnownDrones, the DM Catholic Workers & VFP and many others, starting in Iowa a “End Drone War Pledge” by all 2020 Presidential Candidates campaign:
https://www.knowdrones.com/?utm_term=0_beae583d40-45890e9add-323604005


National Contact
Nick Mottern <nickmottern@gmail.com>
KnowDrones https://www.knowdrones.com/

DM VFP & CW Contacts:
Frank Cordaro (515) 490 2490 <frank.cordaro@gmail.com>
Gil Landolt (515) 657 0354 <peacevet@hotmail.com>
Ruth Michelle Hart (319) 654 7010 <ruth.gracegirl.hart@gmail.com>


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