US operates global drone war from German base – ex-pilot
A testimony by a former US Air Force drone pilot has revealed that the US is using its Ramstein Air Base in Germany to wage highly controversial drone warfare in Africa, Yemen, and Pakistan.
“The entire drone war of the US military wouldn't be possible
without Germany," Brandon Bryant, who resigned in 2011, told
NDR television and Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Last year, German media revealed that the US uses its military
bases in Germany to conduct targeted killings of suspected
terrorists in Somalia. But Bryant now says that Ramstein Air Base
in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is involved in
strikes on Pakistan and Yemen.
During his five years of service, Bryant flew more than 1,000
operations in Pakistan and Yemen. He said his unit was
responsible for 1,262 targeted killings. Although Bryant was
seated at his control pad in New Mexico – far from the actual
drones – there is mounting evidence that the base in Germany
plays a key role.
Data from the remote controlled drones is transmitted via
satellite to Germany. It is then sent back to America via fiber
optic cable. Live pictures are analyzed and classified by teams
of US intelligence officers in Germany, suggesting Ramstein is
the nerve center behind the operations.
Bryant said that Ramstein was always “the first port of
call” during any strike.
Polls show that the majority of Germans have consistently
disapproved of drone strikes, saying they are secretive, do not
follow a legal process, and can prove ineffective if the wrong
targets are eliminated.
Aware of these concerns, the United States – which has a military
presence in the country guaranteed by post-WWII agreements – has
denied that its German base, which houses over 600 personnel, is
directly involved in the strikes.
"The US government has confirmed that such armed and remote
aircrafts are not flown or controlled from US bases in
Germany," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told
reporters on Friday.
In total, up to 900 people may have been killed in Yemen since
strikes began in 2002. More than 3,700 people have died in
Pakistan since 2004. The figures were collated on the basis of
reports by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an independent
online news source, as the CIA and the Pentagon do not reveal
official figures.
In the wake of the revelation, foreign policy spokesperson for
the Greens party, Omid Nouripour, urged Angela Merkel’s
government to take action. "It is shameful that the German
government simply closes its eyes to violations of international
law on German territory," Nouripour told DPA news agency.
While the new revelations may put further strain on the
relationship between Washington and Berlin – which is already
tense due to Edward Snowden's leaks about NSA surveillance – they
are unlikely to lead to specific measures from Germany.
Berlin cannot freely inspect – much less close down – US bases
without pulling out of key military cooperation agreements.
