Bloomington residents hear ‘Silent Screams’ at public library

Thousands of miles away on American soil, pilots control unmanned aerial vehicles known as drones that drop bombs, killing civilians across the Middle East.

This cycle of destruction and poverty was the subject of director-producer Karla Hansen’s documentary, “Silent Screams: The Impact of U.S. Drone Attacks.”

The 35-minute film was screened 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Monroe County Public Library to an audience of about 20 people. The screening was sponsored by the Bloomington Peace Action Coalition.

According to the film’s website, Hansen was inspired to make the documentary during a 2009 visit to Iran. She wanted to make a film that documented the effects of drone attacks on the poor through “the eyes of innocent children and families with no place left to run.”

The U.S. has begun to use drones more and more as a way to keep American military members safe in the Middle East. However, to some, the repercussions of civilian deaths outweigh the potential safety of Americans.

“According to international law, both sides in a war are supposed to take risks,” BPAC event organizer Linda Greene said.

Though the U.S. military does not keep records of civilian deaths, the death toll since the U.S. has entered Afghanistan and Iraq is in the thousands, Baer said.

“The American population has a general feeling that drones are an okay thing,” BPAC event organizer Timothy Baer said. “But all life is valuable.”

According to the film, the drones have a 2 percent accuracy level of hitting a designated target. As a result, innocent civilians are often killed or injured.

“It’s wrong because these people are never given a fair trial,” Greene said. “The operators of the drones act as the judge, jury and executor.”

BPAC is especially concerned about the proliferation of drones in the military, Baer said, because Indiana is home to multiple drone testing and research sites, including Purdue University.

“It’s an assassination when George Bush did it and it’s an assassination when Barack Obama does it,” BPAC member Mike Biggs said about the U.S. military using drones.