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For Immediate Release
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Cres Vellucci 916/996-9170

Iowa Presidential Race Targeted by Military Vets and Anti-Drone Television Commercials on Major News Networks

Military veterans attempting to inject "murder drones" into the Presidential Race discussion in Iowa are running a series of sometimes graphic television commercials on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in the Des Moines area asking military personnel to "refuse" to follow orders to "fly" drones.

The spots can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2lXLFIE8fEQ

IOWA

Military veterans attempting to inject "murder drones" into the Presidential Race discussion in Iowa are running a series of sometimes graphic television commercials on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in the Des Moines area asking military personnel to "refuse" to follow orders to "fly" drones.

The spots can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2lXLFIE8fEQ

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2lXLFIE8fEQ

The :15 second paid commercials - which show images of dead children killed by U.S. drones - have now been shown in seven U.S. cities, all located near drone operating centers, from New York to California. One internet provider in New Mexico, with links to the defense industry, refused to run the spots. The Iowa ads are sponsored by KnowDrones.com, and Veterans for Peace/Des Moines.

"We are very pleased to introduce the television spots to Iowans and the Presidential candidates," said Nick Mottern, KnowDrones.com coordinator, "Through the images of children killed in drone attacks American people can see the illegality and immorality of the U.S. policy of systematically killing people without due process."

Earlier this month, in what is probably a first, the Air Force Times published a controversial half page advertisement from 54 U.S. military veterans and veterans organizations urging Air Force drone operators and other military personnel to refuse their orders...and not fly drone surveillance/attack missions.

https://tinyurl.com/RefuseToFlyAFTimesAd or https://tinyurl.com/RefuseToFlyAFTimesAdPage28

Additionally, anti-war critic and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley are touring Iowa to talk about drones and national security issues. Sponsored by Iowa Veterans for Peace, and seeks to raise the level of Iowans' understanding of national security issues, they speak at the Ames Public Library at 7 p.m.Tuesday, and at 101 Olin Hall at Drake University at 7 p.m.Wednesday.

They have spoken to groups in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls and Waterloo. On Sunday they spokes at St. Ambrose University in Davenport and to a consortium of Mennonite congregations near Parnell. On Monday, they spoke at the Englert theater in Iowa City, in an event sponsored by the University of Iowa Lecture Series and Veterans for Peace. They were joined at that event via live video by Edward Snowden, who is in exile in Russia.

Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars.

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