Friday, November 15, 2013

GERMANY & DRONES


RT reports that Berlin has suspended the purchase of armed drones on the grounds that it “categorically rejects illegal killings.” This follows a report by Amnesty International that accused Merkel’s government of aiding the US with drone strikes in Pakistan.

A draft agreement between the Social Democrats and the Conservatives obtained by Der Spiegel condemns the use of drones for targeted attacks.

"We categorically reject illegal killings by drones. Germany will support the use of unmanned weapons systems for the purposes of international disarmament and arms control," said the statement. The government says that before acquiring the remote-controlled craft, it must thoroughly examine “all associated civil and constitutional guidelines and ethical questions.”


Global Network board member Regina Hagen from Darmstadt, Germany writes:

Yes, that's true. BUT...

Many of the deadly drone attacks are controlled from the US base in Stuttgart, the German secret service BND provides information about (human) targets, and US spies can operate freely in and from Germany. So Germany is actually involved in drone warfare even thought not buying armed drones.

The daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung launched an article series today, and hurray, you can find some of it in English at http://international.sueddeutsche.de/post/67044574634/germany-ally-and-accomplice-in-u-s-war-on-terror.

You can also find an interactive map about US spy posts in Germany at http://www.geheimerkrieg.de/ (secret war) - and that can't be all, the Darmstadt "Dagger Complex" e.g. is missing in the map.

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