America should immediately halt its attacks on suspected terrorists using unmanned aerial weapons systems or 'drones', according to a declaration from the first Interfaith Conference on Drone Warfare.
The statement released this week is from more than 150 religious leaders who attended the conference at Princeton Theological Seminary in January. It says that "Our concerns center on the nature of lethal drones as a weapon, namely their use in targeted killings of specific individuals most of whom are Muslims, their impact upon targeted communities, their operation by remote control, and the consequences that drones increase hostilities."
US president Barack Obama has massively increased the use of drones in the 'war' against terrorists, on the grounds that they are more effective and less risky for the US military than using air strikes or ground troops. However, campaigners have pointed to the high levels of civilian casualties from drone attacks as a result of faulty intelligence and pour scorn on the idea that they represent 'surgical strikes'; a recent Guardian article featured a 13-year-old Yemeni boy, Mohammed Tuaiman, killed in error by a drone, who had already lost his father and brother.
The statement called on the Obama administration to halt the drone attacks, to be "transparent and accountable on the past use of such strikes" and to commission an independent study on the impact of lethal drones on drone operators, targeted persons and affected communities.
It called for international agreements on banning the use of lethal drones, concluding: "As people of faith, we advocate the rigorous pursuit of Just Peace, based on upholding dignity and human rights for all, with resources dedicated to this alternative at a level matching that spent on the current drone warfare program."