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Subscribe to RSSA group of 32 American anti-drone activists will join a march to Pakistan's tribal areas, where U.S. strikes have killed thousands of people over the last eight years. NBC News Amna Nawaz spoke to some of them.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Dozens of anti-drone activists have traveled to Pakistan to join a march to the country's tribal areas, where more than 300 strikes have killed thousands of people in the last eight years.
The 32 members of Code Pink have ignored a State Department travel warning to take part in Pakistani presidential candidate Imran Khan's "peace rally" to the remote area bordering Afghanistan, where the vast majority of the nearly 350 US drone strikes in Pakistan have occurred.
"People are taking great risks to come here," said Medea Banjamin, co-director of Code Pink. "It shows the depth of conviction that we have to say that 'I don't want my government killing innocent people in my name and I'm going to put my body on the line to try to stop it.' "
In Pakistan's largest city, 'Old Glory' is flammable and profitable
Khan, a former cricket star, is leading a convoy of thousands — including political supporters, local community members and journalists — into the troubled, restricted region to highlight the impact of drone strikes in Pakistan.
The rally will be the first of its kind to the tribal areas.
U.S. officials call the drone strikes an essential element of their attacks on al-Qaida militants and their affiliates in countries such as Pakistan, even as those strikes ignite local anger and fray diplomatic relations.
For many Pakistanis, 'USA' means 'drones'
In August, the Pakstani Taliban threatened to kill Khan if he held the march. "If he comes, our suicide bombers will target him," Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan told The Associated Press.
Khan, who is the founder of the Pakistan Movement for Justice party, has gained momentum over the last year after more than a decade in politics. He is perhaps the most famous person in Pakistan because he led the country's cricket team to victory in the 1992 World Cup.
More Pakistan coverage from NBC News
Despite the danger, the Code Pink members said it was important to show solidarity with the Pakistani people.
"A lot of anti-Americanism is actually created due to the drone war," activist Chelsea Faria told NBC News. "It's making us a lot less safe."
San Francisco-based Dianne Budd said people were being forced to spend "24/7 under the threat at any moment of death by drones." She added: "It's almost trivial what we're doing, compared to how they're living."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Arshad Arbab / EPA
Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.
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Leave a Comment:
And when they get kidnapped their families will cry we need to do somethingabout it. You ignored the warning, all events after you ignore the warning and went anyway are in your hands
I'm predicting bery bery bad things Jerry, bery bery bad.
"Giving aid and comfort to the enemy". In my book, that's treason.
Idiots. Now after the taliban kidnap them are we to pay out millions to bail them out? They take the risk then they can assume the outcome.
If they are really against drones why not stay in the US and protest the supposed 30,000 drones that are being implemented in our own country without any explanation for it?!
I say if captured, we pay nothing for them. A parting gift for the taliban losers.
I am glad they are going there... THEY CAN STAY THERE!!! This is sad, when our own nation supports terror!!!
In a few weeks their families will be complaining to the state dept. when they are held captive.
The NOBAMA SYNDROME in America:
Where is their OUTCRY against our Ambassador being ANALLY RAPED an TORTURED FOR REAL (Not some water poured on his head..they f'ed him in the A$$, and physically beat him to death. F YOU LIBERAL A$$HOLE$
Where is their OUTCRY against the MODERN SLAVERY TRADE...Oh, outside of their Liberal STUPIDITY???
Where is ther OUTCRY against the same Pakistani ANIMALS that buried their DAUGHTERS ALIVE????
Who are these PATHETIC MORONS??
They are doing this on their own, then they are on their own. We shouldn't, as a country, rescue them when they get in trouble over there. What a bunch of ignorant, ignoratn people...
Pathetic liberal white Americans, will sell the US out in a heartbeat, with their
pitiful mindset to undermine true reason. BUTT, Stupid-A$$ Liberal White MORONS
have typically undermined the positions they should safeguard. Give your
children over to Muslims, Satanists, Welfare-sucking generations with NO
intention to actually be productive...and on and on....Stupid Liberal White
Americans are MORE THAN WILLING to sell their children out for their mis-guided
MORON mis-interpretations of reality
Where is there OUTRAGE against Modern Slavery, which is mostly Muslim???
Where is there OUTRAGE against the Pakistani Daughters BURIED ALIVE???
Where is there OUTRAGE against the TRUE subjugation of WOMEN, LESS THAN THE CAMELS THEY Fu..
Why would Americans support this Liberal STUPIDITY??? And VOTE for the CHAMPION Of Anti-American IDIOCY??? Give MORE MONEY to the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD???
glennyrd
Please don't feed the troll - it only encourages him! LOL This is about the 10th time he has cut and pasted same lines. Ignoring him will frustrate the H3!! out of it.
Are these people NUTS!!! Hopefully they hit with a drone strike while protesting!!!!
Sounds like an opportunity for a drone strike. A pink drone. I guess if the local fanatics take them hostage, we'll have to pay up. If things go south on them, I don't want to hear their crying and wailing either.
good, they can stay there, don't let them back into the USA !!!!
I'm ashamed that this many of my fellow Americans would actually wish death and ill will towards people trying to make the world a better place, regardless of how crazy it is.
It's one thing to say, which I would probably say myself, "They're crazy ! You wouldn't see me over there !"
Instead most posters are saying "I hope they all die and get killed, beheaded, raped, tortured, etc."
Karma is a cold, cold dose of reality. Hope it doesn't come back and bite you in the rear.
My Mother LOVES the GreenPeace Seals! I sure wish we could all live together.... Except that the Pakistani Muslims in this particular region BURIED THEIR DAUGHTERS ALIVE NOT LONG AGO...LOOK IT UP!
Oh...Peace, Love, Kum-Ba-Ya or whatever
Nancy Pelosi and Pink B/S.. You can get the details after you BURY your Daughters ALIVE in the DIRT
So because some religious fundamental muslims buried their daughters alive in their country, the USA needs to bomb their country and kill some insurgents and also a good number of innocent civilians ?
Your logic, if that's what you would call it, makes no sense.
I find monotheism quite ridiculous, whether it's islam, judaism, or christianity. I find sharia law even more ridiculous and a human rights violation, but that has nothing to do with America's drone attacks, stop trying to justify your nonsense with that.
And when "code pink" gets captured or are attacked by the enemy- they better not look to our military to rescue them! What is this group's take on the 2000 soldiers killed? Why not try supporting your military rather than hurt them?
This should be fun....32 Americans with heads cut off.....what an outrage...George Bushs fault
Here is a classic example of Americans being stupid. Oh those poor talibani refugees, lets go over to that stink pot of a country and show our support to stop US Drone strikes. They maybe wishing in the future that a drone was watching when get "Taken". Fools.
Hey...Super 'Skunk?'
My Mother LOVES the GreenPeace Seals! I sure wish we could all live together.... Except that the Pakistani Muslims in this particular region BURIED THEIR DAUGHTERS ALIVE NOT LONG AGO...LOOK IT UP!
Oh...Peace, Love, Kum-Ba-Ya or whatever
Nancy Pelosi and Pink B/S.. You can get the details after you BURY your Daughters ALIVE in the DIRT
I bet Hanoi Jane Fonda is happy. She has another bunch of traitors to take the heat off. Taliban Medea and her bunch of sorry idiots going over there is just the sort of thing that broke the hearts of all the Vets from Viet Nam. I would not like to see harm to those idiots, just a couple of close calls while they are kissing up to the targets that are killing American soldiers and are responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
When these protestors get there they need to be informed that their pasports have been canceled and can can expect to stay there. We do not need or want to be putting troops in harms way to rescue them when the Taliban or Al-quaida kidnaps them and holds them for ransom.
What do they expect the US to do when they take them prisoner and hang them upside down for the beatings with canes.
I am SICK of the USELESS WASTE PRODUCT LIBERALS pretending they speak for the TRUE AMERICAN WOMEN...MOTHERS that care about their Children's FUTURE.
Nancy Pelosi, these Pathetic Wastes that want to portray they SPEAK for the Women of America...BULL$HI+
We'll be reading headlines about their capture, torture, and later death in the next few weeks. I will not feel sorry for any of them. They have been duly warned and choose to ignore it. Their fate is in their hands.
Imagine what people would have thought 20 years ago....... if I'd have told them "In the year 2012, there will be flying robots that kill people.... but don't worry they're on our side!" Now think about what the next 20 will bring. Things are progressing nicely.
Tonights drone target is.....
I can just hear it now.
Drone Operator: Sir, we cannot hit the target without hitting american human shields.
Drone Supervisor: Just do your best son. Remember, you lose 10 points if you take out a whitey.
Seriously, why would any american want to protect terrorists? Innocent people have always been accidentally killed in wars. There is nothing new about that. It sucks, but it happens. The only thing these idiots are doing is putting themselves in harms way while protecting terrorists. IMHO they should be either arrested or ignored. (Meaning the damn drones should fire anyway if a threat is detected).
These people are beyond stupid...I hope they also carry a sign on them stating "I am an American"...that should take care of them..
Right, they're so dumb---why? Because they have a REAL cause they're fighting for and they're not using GUNS to fight for it? Pfft. Look at your American soldiers; they're just fighting for NOTHING, and they use weapons to do it. These people are fighting for an ACTUAL CAUSE--peace--and they're not using brute force to make their point. That is true bravery, putting yourself in a dangerous situation to make an important point. You just don't understand because you are apparantly a coward.
and after they are dead who will remember them ?? you get real
I think many people would remember them. On the other hand, I don't remember or care for any soldiers fighting these idiotic wars. So I guess it depends on whether you care about peace, or war? I surely don't care about war or the dum-dums who agree to fighting them. It accomplishes nothing.
It is a crime that so many innocent females are abducted for human trafficking and CourageLovePeaceLive is ignored.
CourageLovePeaceLive, glennyrd, mikeSanJacinto, you're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.