National Bird (2016) - full transcript

[Heather] You were omniscient
in people's lives.

And, you've literally just
kind of, hovered over...
their area.

And, sometimes you would
watch them for days

and then you'd
have intel that...

That this guy is a bad guy.

And, you wait till he walks
out to the field to meet with
some friends for something,

and you'd blow him up.

Drop a Hellfire missile on him.

[Heather] Are you guys
gonna have anything
to drink tonight?

-[woman 2] Oh yes, just water.
-[woman 3] I'll have a soda,
please.

All right.



There you go.

And, the bottle of water
is back there, then
if you wanna grab one.

Thanks, guys.
Have a good night.

[Heather] I originally was
interested in Navy at first,

because the guy
that I was dating
had been in the Navy,

and I was like,
"Oh, maybe I'll just
join the Navy",

you know, travel,
and see the world,
and fight for my country

and protect people
from terrorists.

And, I ended up being
recruited into the Air Force

because I actually saw
the posters with the drones,

and, I was like,
"Wow, that is so cool",
like unmanned aircraft.

Like, that's really badass.

And I was still like,
under the impression that
America was saving the world.

Like, that we were
Big Brother, and we were
helping everyone out.



So, when I saw
this possibility

that I could get out of like,
this small town that I was in,

get out of Pennsylvania,
and just travel,

and I thought that was
the only way to do it.

And, they didn't make it seem
like you would be that,

one of your only options
of places to go
is Afghanistan.

[digital beeping]

-[man] Titan 1-4,
hold your position.
-[man 2] What d'ya got?

Unmanned aircraft
is identifying enemy sniper.

Copy that. Let's move.

[Heather] I was
in the military prior to
being in massage school.

I got out two years ago.

I was in
Air Force Intelligence,

I flew the drones.

I was part of a unit that...

we fought in Afghanistan,

and I've lost friends
to the war.

I've lost friends to suicide
that were a part of that unit.

And, I've seen a lot
of people die...

in the war.

So, for me, I brought
to the massage table pain,

and just absolute despair.

And, memories, like...
horrible memories.

And, along with that
is an anxiety disorder
and a sleep disorder.

And, I thought...

you know, I came here,
I think, subconsciously
looking for healing

for myself.

To be able to find
something that in learning
to heal other people,

maybe I could heal myself
as well.

[somber music playing]

It was like slow motion.

And it was like you're
watching someone
just drag themself

across the field.

When you watch someone
in those dying moments,

what their reaction is,
how they're reacting,

and what they're doing,

[sighs] it's so primitive.

It's really raw,

stripped down death.

That's what it is.

This is real.
Like, this isn't...

It's not a joke.

I have specific memories
of any of them,

that I know I killed.

But, it's so messy,

and they don't report it
down to us who we killed.

Maybe we killed
our objective,

maybe we killed a guy
who we thought
was our objective.

You don't know.

And, I can say the drone
program's wrong,

because, I don't know
how many people I've killed.

After we do a strike,
I'd ask for a break,

and, like, go outside
and smoke a cigarette,
and just think,

and, like, try to decompress
and just try to...

push the idea that I was
involved in killing people,

uh, out of my mind
and try not to think about it.

Sometimes if I couldn't

really get out of this
situation for very long,

I would just go
to the bathroom,

and just sit
on the toilet.

Like, just sit there
in my uniform
and just, like, cry.

And just think about like,
what I was doing.

It was just different
emotional responses.

I mean, a lot
of times afterwards

I would feel just empty,

and, if I was crying,
it was because I just
didn't...

know how to stop
feeling like that.

How to stop feeling
like a shell.

And, it was...

that empty void.

And it was, it was like always
shaking after we'd do a strike,

'cause there's such
an adrenalin rush,
you're killing someone.

You see someone die
because you said
it was okay to kill them.

[man] This is the future
and it's already here.

The predator,
it just doesn't give up,
it doesn't quit.

It will find you,
it will hunt you down.

You step into
the ground control station,
which is your cockpit,

you immediately feel
like you're in an airplane.

It's kind of like, having
an eagle, or, something

over your head, constantly
planning on your arm,
reporting what's going on.

[Heather] It's a spy
in the sky, really.

Lets them see
what they need to see.

[man] It's really
a good feeling

to know that you're helping
the guys on the ground.

That's really why
I think all of us do it.

Being part of the Air Force
makes me feel proud.

When people tell me,
"Thank you", that's when
I remember I'm doing something

bigger than me.

Before I joined
the military,

I was, well aware that
what I was about to enter

was something that
I was against.

That I disagreed with,

I joined anyways
out of desperation

because I was homeless,
I was desperate,

I had nowhere else to go.

I was on my last leg,

and, the Air Force
was ready to accept me.

I still work in Intelligence,
as a contractor,

basically until I can
go to school,

in the fall semester.

And, I still have
a top secret clearance.

Uh, it's...

Once you're given
a top secret clearance
it's good for five years,

and then it needs
to be renewed
every five years.

And, when I leave this job,

my clearance will expire.

Nobody ever thinks about
speaking out,

against the government,
who's worked for them

and hasn't considered
what the possible
consequences are.

But, I don't dwell on them
because I don't...

I don't want it
to effect my voice.

I don't want it
to silence my words

or to curtail my speech.

I generally feel like
they don't...

"They" being the government,
"they" being
the Justice Department,

they shouldn't hold that
power over me.

This ominous threat
that they'll go after me

in the same way that
they've gone after
so many people.

Specially since 9/11.

I didn't find out
what I was gonna be doing
until I made it to Fort Bragg,

for the Joint Special
Operations Command.

At the time, I didn't really
realize the significance,

or the importance
of the organization itself.

I'd simply been told
by some people
in the military,

"Oh, they're kind
of like, the elite".

Special Ops people
that you hear about
in video games, and in movies.

That they were
actually responsible

for the killing
of Osama Bin Laden.

So, I would find targets
using signals intelligence.

You know, I was stationed
at Fort Meade,

which is where NSA
is headquartered.

I had a clearance for NSA,

I was... so... you know,

NSA is the Intelligence
Directorate which handles
signals intelligence.

So naturally, I would be put
in to a position,

you know, overseas,

working in a signals
intelligence capacity.

And, using...

the technology
on the drone through...

a means of signals
intelligence...

Sorry, it's really...

really tough... I know...

it's core and it's central
to what I was doing and like,

my whole reason
for speaking here...

So, but I'm also very unaware
where that line is drawn.

And, um...

So, I had to be very
extraordinarily cautious

about what I can
and can't say on camera.

The...

Though it's something
so simple and so benign

that you wouldn't imagine,

it were even...

of, you know, it would
even have concerned...

There's still... there's no,

there's no doubt in my mind
that if I said the wrong...

the wrong thing or gave away
the wrong kind of information

about what I was doing,
that I...

that I wouldn't...

that I would be, you know,
safe from prosecution

of any kind.

[somber music playing]

[Lisa] When I first got
into the military,

I mean, I was thinking
it was kind of a win-win.

It was a force for good
in the world.

I could actually
help people,

I could go places,
I could learn things,

there was nothing negative
about it at the time

that was in my thinking
or in my consciousness.

And, you know,
I thought I was gonna be
on the right side of history,

and today,
I don't believe I was.

[crows cawing]

[Lisa] I worked on a DGS,
a Distributed Ground System.

As the name implies, I mean,
it's a distributed system,

and, it spans the globe,
and it eats data.

And, it eats lots, and lots,
and lots of data.

This is global.

This is getting information

anywhere at anytime,

shooting people
from anywhere at anytime,

and it's not just
one person sitting there,

with a little remote control,
a little joystick,

moving around a plane
that's halfway
across the world.

That's not all there is.

It's like, borders
don't matter anymore,

and, there's a huge system
that spans the globe,

that can just suck up
endless amounts of your life,

your personal data.

I mean, this could grow
to get so out of control,

and we're not the only ones
that have this.

This is gonna be commonplace,
if it's not already.

It's a secret program.

And what that means is that

I can't just go
shouting off the hill tops

telling the public
what it is.

What I can tell you,
is that to me,

one person who worked
within this massive thing,

it's frightening.

Okay, let me find
the beginning of this
really long sentence.

"Sgt. Ling also spearheaded
the emissions security
and accreditation process

"for four Coalition
Computer Networks,

"enabling the exploitation
of 2400 sorties

"and resulting in the timely
and accurate identification

"of 121,000 insurgent targets

"in support of operations
Iraqi Freedom

"and Enduring Freedom."
And, then it goes on.

That means that the system
that I worked on...

basically identified
121,000 insurgent targets.

It's 121,000 lives,

affected by technology

that we control.

And in this case,
you're talking about
a two-year period.

So, how many years
have we been at war now?

It's 12.

Multiply,

add up some numbers,

and see what's
really going on.

[man] Dear Lord,
we thank you
for this beautiful day.

We thank you
for friends and family,

we thank you
for everyone,

everything that
you've given us.

Bless this food
and nourish our bodies,

keep everyone safe
in their travel.

Amen.

Did you ever

[Heather] I was
an imagery analyst
and a screener.

My job was to watch
what's happening,

in the video
of the drones,

the live video, of course,

and identify everything.

Another remote duty station,

you'd have
the pilot, of course,

who's flying
the actual aircraft,

and the sensor operator,

who is moving
the camera around.

They were the ones
that actually push the button.

I do not push the button,
I just identify what...

what necessitates
a button pushing.

[somber music playing]

We can't just bomb someone
and fly away.

We have to follow through.

The bomb hit, and wait
for it to cool down
a little bit,

and then you can see,
like, the body parts.

You can identify, like,

that could be the lower half
of his body,

that could be a leg.

And then...

Sometimes you'll stick around

and watch family
come and get them.

Or, like, pick up the parts,

and put their family member
in a blanket.

And a couple of people
will hold on to a corner
of the blanket

and carry them back
to their compound.

According to my
mental health records,

I was high risk
for suicide

because of the way
I acted about my job.

My psychologist called
my First Sergeant

and he
recommended that

I be possibly moved
to anything that...

wasn't involving watching
people die all the time.

And the First Sergeant said
that our team was undermanned,

and that they absolutely
needed me to work mission,

so, he would look into it,

but never returned
my psychologist's phone calls,

never gave him any
indications that I was...

gonna be moved
to a better job.

And I obviously wasn't.

I stayed doing that job
until the last possible moment

when they had to
let me out of process

because I was actually
getting out of the military.

So, I guess that's
the cost of a human life,

because the fact that
I was on a suicide watchlist

and they still wouldn't
allow me to do something else

that might help me
a little bit

obviously didn't matter
to the military, and that...

that shows how much
the Air Force cares about
its intelligence troops.

[wind chime dinging]

Look down the bottom there.

There's ice on the steps too.

[Heather's mom]
You could tell she'd
had a stressful day,

if she'd call me up
and she'd be crying,

or she'd be upset.

But then, she couldn't
talk about it.

And then, when you ask her,
"Can you talk to
anybody else about it?"

"Well no, we're not supposed
to talk to anybody".

So, she...

was having more
and more issues,

each day that things went on.

A mom knows these things,
and then, when you hear
your daughter,

talking to you
on the phone,

and you can tell
that she's in trouble

just by the emotion
and the inflection,

in the stress that you
can hear in her voice,

I knew she was in trouble.

And, the only thing I could do
is just stay in touch with her
on a daily basis,

so she felt like she
had someone there.

Because I have a feeling
if somebody was there for her,

she wouldn't
be here right now.

And her friends, a lot of them,
were in the same boat she was.

All drinking.

All carrying on.

Trying to forget the pain.

[woman on radio]
I'm just scared,
I'm always scared.

All those little kids were
just scared to go outside.

Now, I would like to play
a clip of President Obama,

addressing US drone warfare,

at National Defense University
in Washington DC.

[Obama] And before any
strike is taken,

there must be near certainty
that no civilians will
be killed or injured.

The highest standard
we can set.

Yes, the conflict
with Al Qaeda,
like all armed conflict,

invites tragedy.

But by narrowly targeting
our action against those
who want to kill us,

and not the people
they hide among,

we are choosing
the course of action
least likely,

to result in the loss
of innocent life.

[Daniel] When
the President gets up
in front of the nation

and says that they're doing
everything they can

to ensure that there's
near certainty

that there will be
no civilians killed,

he is saying that, because,

he can't say otherwise.

Because, any time,

an action is taken
to finish a target,

there is a certain amount
of guesswork in that action.

Because it's only
in the aftermath

of any kind of ordinance
being dropped,

that you know just how much
actual damage was done.

And, often times...

the intelligence committee
is reliant,

the Joint Special
Operations Command,

the CIA included,

is reliant on intelligence
coming afterwards,

that confirms that
who they were targeting
was killed in that strike.

Or that they weren't
killed in that strike.

[somber music playing]

[Lisa] We all know
people die in war.

We all know that.

If we don't, we're deluded.

The fact of the matter is,

is that these things,
these devices,

can go pretty much unimpeded
anywhere in the world,

and blow crap up.

And there's no single
governing body

about how they're used,

and that is something
that will promote war.

Not deter it.

The people that really
get the impact,

aside from the people
at the distant end

who are getting hit
by these weapons

are all these new recruits
that are coming in.

And the people
that are being affected
are America's children.

People die,
things get destroyed,

and people who
are aged 18 to 24,

sit and watch it.

How can anyone
not find that disturbing?

[Heather] Hearing politicians
speak about drones
being precision weapons,

being able to make
surgical strikes,

to me, it's
completely ridiculous.

It's completely ludicrous
to even make those statements.

It's as flawed
as it can be

with people operating it
from across the world.

If they really think
they can send a bomb

through a window of a compound
and hit one militant,

then why are we seeing
so many civilians dying
as collateral damage.

I'd like to ask those
politicians, have they
not been notified of that?

Do they not know
what's going on

in their own war
that they're controlling?

[music playing]

A former US drone
operator and analyst

has slammed American
and British militaries

for fabricating
faulty information
on the civilian deaths

in the US-led
drone war worldwide.

Heather Linebaugh has
questioned the accuracy
of the information

collected by the drone saying,

"The videos provided are not
clear enough to detect
militants from civilians."

The former American analyst
also said that the drones

in the US-led wars
are not used as protection
but rather as a weapon.

[Heather] This is
a perfect example of
what it would look like.

Unaltered.

This is probably the best
you'd get on a good day.

It's why it's so difficult
to make that choice.

I'd say there's at least
two possible,
possible children.

And then, one of them
runs away.

[somber music playing]

[sighs]

[cries]

It's like, I care because
of what I've seen,

happen to, like,
my fellow veterans
and stuff, like,

what I've seen
happen to people.

Like, my friends have
suffered so much,

I've had so many
friends that are, like,

"Oh man, I can't
live with myself
for what I did in Iraq,

like, "I can't live with myself
for the things that I've done."

And this isn't
just for myself,

like, this isn't some kind
of self-healing thing for me.

Like, I've found more
self-healing through doing
massage and everything.

This isn't even that
therapeutic for me.

Every time I do
one of these things I'm like,

I feel awful.

'Cause then I have
to talk about it
and tell people about it

and all kinds of stuff, and
people think that my stories

are all mega-important
or something.

And it's... I'm not
saying this for like,

the importance of... myself.

I'm saying it because,

I need to say it
because my other
veteran friends are, like,

too drunk to spend time
to say anything about it

or they're not around anymore.

Trying to just get people
to change how they view
things are, like,

policy makers
aren't listening.

Policy makers
don't care.

It's not gonna
change anything.

So, I'm gonna put myself
out there at risk.

Being put on some kind of
FBI watchlist or something
for just saying that,

"Yeah, the drone program
makes people feel bad."

Like, I'm basically saying,

the drone program can give you
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

That shouldn't be a surprise,
and like...

for me to just say something
like that and then have people

say it's not gonna
make a change,

"You're gonna be
the next Edward Snowden,"

it just...
it pisses me off, like...

And it makes me
not even wanna try,

because, if I'm gonna
get all this awful
horrifying attention

from the government
and stuff, like...

What's the point?

If someone
comes to my house

and puts a bag over my head
and hauls me away,

then what was the point
of anything I did?

Am I really changing
people's minds?

Or are people just
gonna share it on Facebook
and then move along?

[sniffles]

I'm spending all this time
doing all this stuff

and it could be
for absolutely nothing.

[sniffles] Like, I could be...

living a normal life,

spending time with friends,
spending time with family.

And like, I'm spending
all this time for this thing,

that I don't know if anybody's
even gonna care about.

And I don't know if anybody's
gonna be like,

"Oh, let's really care
about these soldiers
in the drone program,

"'cause according to all
that are Left, we're all
a bunch of baby killers.

"And according to the Right,
we shouldn't be
having any problems

"'cause we're not walking
around in Afghanistan."

[man] Expose Facts
is dedicated to

supporting whistle-blowers,
whistle-blowing,

and independent journalism.

Our next speaker,
Jesselyn Radack,
is a Director

of National Security
and Human Rights Program

at the Government
Accountability Project.

As an attorney, she's
represented many
whistle-blowers,

and I'll mention just
a few of them.

Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake,
and John Kiriakou.

So, Jesselyn Radack.

I represent seven people

investigated, charged,

or prosecuted

under the draconian
Espionage Act.

Espionage Act prosecutions
occur largely in secret,

and have been brutal.

I hope that will change.

I hope also that
whistle-blower protection
will be extended

to protect people
in the national security
and intelligence arenas,

who have made all
of the bombshell disclosures
about war crimes,

about torture,
about secret surveillance,

that you've heard about
over the past decade.

[Heather] When the Guardian
thing first happened,

I was so scared

'cause everybody started
calling me a whistle-blower
and saying like,

"This is another
Edward Snowden".

I didn't think I mentioned
anything classified

but they started saying, like,
"She mentioned capabilities."

Well, most whistle-blowers
are not blowing the whistle
on classified,

and if they do have access
to classified information,

they're able
to blow the whistle

on things without ever
getting into the classified.

And, what you're disclosing
that hasn't been out there,

is the ill-effect and
the horrible negative effect
that this has had

on the actual people
doing the work.

-Yeah.
-And...

On the innocent people
being blown up,

and the shaky
legal reasoning.

I mean, all three of these
are the perfect storm,

of this claustrofuck that we
call the Drone Program.

[rock music playing]

From Pacifica,
this is Democracy Now.

America does not take strikes
to punish individuals,

we act against terrorists
who pose a continuing,

and imminent threat
to the American people.

And when there are
no other governments

capable of effectively
addressing the threat.

[woman on TV]
In a major policy
address on Thursday,

President Obama defended
the secret overseas drone war

but said that
the United States
cannot continue waging

what he described as
a boundless global war
on terror.

Obama's comments
came one day

after Attorney General,
Eric Holder, confirmed
US drone strikes

had killed four US citizens
in Yemen and Pakistan.

[Obama] Simply put,
these strikes
have saved lives.

Moreover, America's actions
are legal.

We were attacked on 9/11.

Within a week, Congress
overwhelmingly authorized
the use of force.

[Daniel] The people
who defend drones

and defend the way that
they're used, they always say,

they protect American lives
by not putting them
in harm's way.

What they really do is, they
just embolden commanders.

They embolden decision makers.

Because, there is no threat,

there is no
immediate consequence.

They can do this strike
and they can potentially
kill this person,

that they're
so desperate to get

and to eliminate,
because of how dangerous,

potentially dangerous
they could be to US.

But if it just so happens
that they don't
kill that person

or some other people
are involved in the strike,

and get killed as well,

you know, there's no
consequence for it.

When it comes
to high value targets,

every mission is to go
after one person at a time.

But anybody else that's
killed in that strike is...

just blatantly assumed
to be an associate

of the targeted individual.

So as long as they can
reasonably identify

that all the people
in the field of view
of the camera

are military-aged males,

meaning anybody who
is believed to be
of age 16 or older,

they are
a legitimate target

under the rules
of engagement.

If that strike occurs
and kills all of them,

they just say that
they got 'em all.

[indistinct chants]

[woman] Okay, we'll take
one more question
for John McCain.

Doesn't McCain
have a daughter
that's of military age?

[woman 2] Oh, good idea!
Send your daughter.

Yeah!

How about sending
your daughter, John,
what about that?

[Daniel] People often times
get mixed up in
the anti-drone movement,

trying to say that we should
just ground drones

and we should
just eliminate drones
from our lexicon

and never allow them
to exist in this world.

It's just too dangerous.

And I don't necessarily
agree with them, because,

drones are gonna be a part
of our life here pretty soon.

They're gonna be,
most likely, they're gonna be
doing things that,

that we were only able to do
with people in a plane before.

It'll be like dusting crops,

or planting seeds or doing
humanitarian surveillance,

during floods and disasters...

to try and locate victims.

You know, they're
gonna be there.

But there's also that other
dangerous side to them

that makes war so easy
and so convenient,

and so simple

that the people
who have access
to this technology

and access
to this capability,

just say, "Why wouldn't
I use this? It's too easy".

[somber music playing]

The most disturbing thing
about my involvement
in drones

is the uncertainty,

if anybody that I was involved
in kill or capture,

was a civilian or not.

There's no way of knowing.

[Lisa] There's a bomb,
they drop it...

It explodes.

Then what?

Does somebody
go down there

and ask for somebody's
driver's license?

"Excuse me, sir, can I have
your driver's license,
see who you are."

I mean, does that happen?

How do we know?

How is it possible to know
who ends up living or dying?

[woman] So, folks, welcome
to the Commonwealth Club.

We have the great
privilege tonight

to have a chance to talk
with General
Stanley McChrystal,

who had a very distinguished
34-year career
in the American military.

His last assignment

was as the commander
of the International
Security Assistance Force,

in Afghanistan.

Won't you
Commonwealth Club members

join me in welcoming
Stan McChrystal.

[Stan] Think about
today's world.

You can get information
from everywhere in real time.

You can talk to anyone
in your organization.

In my Situational Awareness
Room where we called it,

we had about 12 screens
on the wall.

And they were all showing
operations in real time,

full motion video,
we called it.

Like the live TV
from Predator

unmanned aerial vehicles
above them.

So, we could watch
every one of our operators,

landing a helicopter,
get out of a vehicle,

move on the target.

And because of a system
we set up that went through
our secure Internet,

we could hear
every radio transmission

and if I was sitting
in Baghdad, I could hear
radio transmissions

from a raid
in Afghanistan.

And if I wanted to,

I could reach down and talk
to Sergeant X, on the ground,

on an objective in Afghanistan.

Now, I never did that
but the technology now
allows you to do that.

So, the first thing
to understand is that,
that's deceptive.

It's seductive and deceptive,
because, if you see things
in two dimension

you get the opinion that
you're at 10,000 feet,
you see this photograph,

you know what's going on.

You don't know
what's going on,

You know what you see
in two dimensions.

[indistinct chatter]

Lisa, L-I-S-A?

Yup.

And... I'm...

Go on with
the question, please.

Okay, so, I'm very curious,
I understand that you're...

a little weary about
the drone program,

-Uh-huh.
-and I'm wondering,
what your...

views of the program are.

Yeah, I think drones
are here to stay,
and they're necessary.

But you have to understand
how people perceive things.

So, it's one thing
to do things,
but it's another

to anger a population
in the process.

So, I think you got to make
that value decision,
you gotta say...

In each case you gotta
make the decision,
"Is it worth it?"

Because, you are gonna create,

you know, some ill-will
in the process.

I also think we need
to explain it
to the world better.

But again, I'm not one
of those people who thinks
it's not gonna be around.

-I mean, technology
doesn't go back.
-Oh, no. It doesn't.

Yeah, once it's out
of the bag,
it's out of the bag.

And it's not immoral or moral,

but it has to be understood
and it has to be described
to people.

It has to be
very carefully used.

I just think
it's that important.

Well, I just wanna say,
thank you.
I've read your book,

and I so appreciate
your understanding...

Well, you're kind.
Thank you so much.

...of the Afghan culture
and all of that.

It touched my heart.

[indistinct chatter]

[Lisa] One of my neighbors,

her name's Asma, and she
was born in Afghanistan.

And she goes there every year
distributing seeds,

and doing humanitarian work,

and Asma's willing
to take me this year,

and, it's a beautiful thing.

I'm aware that Afghanistan
is a dangerous place.

I'm aware that there's still
war going on there.

But, I believe that doing this
is the right thing to do.

I lost part of my humanity
working in the drone program.

And, humanity was what
was missing there.

And seeing these people
as human beings,

it'll be nice to...

To just see it up close.

[slow music playing]

[indistinct radio chatter]

I bless you.

[goats bleating]

[indistinct chatter]

[helicopter whirring]

[speaking in foreign language]

[Lisa] When I meet
these people,

part of it is making
reparations for my
participation in a program

that's a huge,
huge weapons system

that kills more
innocent people
than actual targets.

There's now way
that I can make amends,

or change anything
that I've participated in.

But if there's any way
that I cam somehow give
back to that country,

that's what I wanna do.

-Cucumber.
-Cucumber.

[speaking in foreign language]

I said, give the ladies, too.

-Hm-hm.
-Okay?

I wanna be able to be helpful,
even just a little bit

by talking to somebody
who's been directly impacted,

by the drone program.

And asking, what do you need,
what do you want
people to hear?

Basically, how can I
be helpful because,

being a part of
a weapons system
can't be helpful.

It can only be hurtful.

-Good morning, everybody.
-Hi!

You're finally here. Sorry...

[indistinct chatter
and laughing]

[man] My feeling of her
moving to California
is mixed emotions.

I feel it's
an opportunity for her,

but I'm concerned about
a young lady

being that far from home,

without family support,
that can't be nearby.

And if she needs help,

it would take some time
for us to get help to her.

[woman] She has episodes
at least once or twice a week.

Sees things, hears things...

but it's so hard for our vets,

and our soldiers,
and men and women
to get help.

And with drone people,
they consider that
they didn't see combat,

'cause they weren't overseas.

That's not the truth.

They see a lot of combat.

But nobody takes that
into consideration.

[man] That's not just
my granddaughter,

that's had trouble getting
the treatment she needed.

I know she has
attempted to get help,

and she had trouble finding
therapists to talk to,

because they didn't have
the right security clearance,

and she was in violation
of the law
and could go to prison,

for even talking
to the wrong therapist

about what was really
bothering her.

That made me a little angry
at our own government,

for putting these kids
through hell.

If we put our young people
in this kind
of an environment,

we have an obligation

to look after them,

to help them make
the adjustment
back to normal life.

And, we're not doing
that, and that's...

Shame on us.

[somber music playing]

[Jesselyn] The government
recently contacted two
of the drone whistle-blowers,

whom I represent.

The government meaning,
the Air Force Office
of Special Investigation,

and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation,
contacted them,

told them that they
were on some sort
of terrorist kill list.

In Heather's case, my
understanding was that

the Air Force Office
of Special Investigations

contacted her step-father

to relay the message that,

a known terrorist organization

had been searching her name.

And on the one had they said
there was not...

a specific or imminent threat.

On the other hand,
they had very tailored
solutions for Heather,

which was that she
needed to tone down

her social profile in general,
and that would include

writing op-eds,

that would include the use
of Twitter and Facebook.

It's not like Heather's
been out screaming
from the roof top

about drones, but clearly
the government is very aware

of the fact that she had
written about drones before.

To me, that's
a blatant attempt
to silence whistle-blowers

and it doesn't surprise me
that that happens
to the very few people

who have been brave enough
to be speaking out

against the drone program.

[slow music playing]

[Daniel] When they arrived,
it was actually
just hours after

I had turned in my badge,
and was finishing my last day.

I had gotten home,
was relaxing,

had poured myself a drink,

and somebody downstairs
was knocking at the door,

and immediately,
both people at the door,

men and women,
shoved FBI badges
in my face,

pushed me inside
into the kitchen,

and immediately
behind them came,
I'd say about 20 agents.

Basically all of them
with pistols drawn,
some were in body armor.

At this point,
I'm extremely scared.

I didn't understand
what was going on.

All together, I think
there might have been
at least 30 to 50 agents,

in and out of the house
at different points
throughout the evening,

taking photos in every room
and of everything,

searching for different things,

Once they were done,
they left,

and I didn't even have
a phone on me,

so I had retained a number.

One of the agents allowed me
to retrieve a number
from my phone,

and, then I used that
to call my friends in DC,

to ask them
if they could, uh,

if they could help me
get in touch with
the right people that,

that knew how to deal
with these kinds of cases.

Once I was in touch
with Daniel, we met at...

one location, and promptly
moved to another location.

And he started telling me
what was going on and,
it became very apparent

that he had been subject
to search warrants

that he had
brought with him
and showed me.

And I drafted up
an Attorney-Client agreement,
a temporary one,

on a napkin,

so I could provide
immediate representation

then eventually was able to
do a full agreement with him.

But he was terrified.

Everything that

we know so far,

between me
and my attorneys,

I've been keeping it
in here.

And it's basically
just the warrants
that were issued that day,

and the items
that they took.

And, so there were
three warrants issued,

one for the room
of the house
that I was in,

and the house itself...

The... there's
a warrant issued

for me and my smartphone,

that I may have
in my possession.

There's this...

there's one
for my motorcycle.

And then there's...

a list of all the things
that they took.

So basically there
was a list for electronics,

and there was a list
for papers.

The next was just
an explanation of what
they were looking for.

So under category one,
"Information documents
in a format or medium,

"all originals,
computer files, copies

"and manipulated
versions of that

"are the property of
the United States government

"or any agency of
the United States government

"including the NSA,
the NGA, JSOC,

"the Department of Defense,
the Department of
the Air Force.

"All classified information
materials or documents are
defined in 18 USC 1924."

So those five departments
or agencies,

however, you look at them,

those are all places
I have worked for.

793 E, and 1030 A1 B,

1030 A2 B,

and 1924.

So, I'd have to actually
do some research on that,

I should have
probably done that.

If I, uh...

if I were more
responsible for myself.

But I'm pretty sure that all
this intels generic blanket,

this is
a criminal investigation
for the Espionage Act.

[Jesselyn] The Espionage Act

is one of the most
serious charges

you can level
against an American.

It's like treason.
It's that serious because,

basically it paints you
as an enemy of the state.

And it's a David
versus Goliath struggle.

It is a single person

against the entire
executive branch

of the United States
government.

And that's the kind of power
we're supposed to reserve

for going after
our enemies.

Not after people
who are patriotic.

[slow music playing]

[Lisa] We're going to meet
some of the families

that have been affected
by drone warfare.

I wanna respect them
and so I'll stay back,

because...

I can't imagine how
they'd feel seeing somebody

that worked on the system
that killed their child,

or killed members
of their family
or took limbs.

So, I'll stay back,

and Asma will be there
and talk to them.

[speaking in foreign language]
Where did Suhrab lose his leg?

In the same incident
in which his father died.

That's when he was injured,

before his father could get
him and the other one out.

My other son Morteza
was killed.

My husband had him on his
chest and was trying

to get him and my daughter out
of the car,

when they were hit.

What was the name
of the little one,
who was killed?

Morteza.

How old was he?

Four years old.

Who else was killed?

Sima. She was my daughter.
Seven years old.

Parents see no difference,

but my daughter

was very beautiful.

I loved her.

God took her from us.

My son was also a good boy.

[helicopter whirring]

I loved him as well.

Oh God!

May God bring peace
to the country!

Our reason for traveling
such a long way,

is that the world community
can hear our voice,

and will learn about
our helpless situation.

So they can see now
how this brutal attack

has destroyed families,

and has wounded, maimed
and killed them.

That's why we are here.

I was a student

and wanted to continue
my education
to become a doctor.

I wanted to do
something positive

for the future
of my people and society.

We were a group of students,

some sick people,
and travelers

who wanted to visit
family and friends.

[man] Looks like people
in the back of the pickup,
one two, three...

at least five dudes so far.

[sensor] That truck
would make a beautiful target.

[pilot] Yeah.

[mc] Screener said
at least one child near SUV.

[sensor] Bullshit! Where?

Send me a fucking still,

I don't think they have
kids out at this hour.

I know they're shady,
but come on.

[mc] They're reviewing.

[pilot] Yeah, review that shit.

Why didn't he say
possible child,

why are they so quick
to call fucking kids

but not to call
a fucking rifle.

[sensor] I really doubt that
children call, man.

I really fucking
hate that.

[sensor] Picked up a third
vehicle on their train.

[mc] Guilty by association.

[sensor] They're praying.
They are praying.

Praying? I mean seriously,
that's what they do.

[mc] They're gonna do
something nefarious.

[speaking in foreign language]
There is a rest area
on the way

where we stopped
to pray.

We got out of our cars,
men and women.

After our prayer, we left.

That's when we heard
the sound of a plane.

But we couldn't see it.

There were two
black helicopters.

And there was also
a white plane that
made a "bing" sound.

It was hovering above us.

We often hear that drones.

Can see everything
by day and by night.

That's what pains me.

You can see the difference
between a needle and an ant,
but not people?

We were sitting
in the pick-up truck,

some even on the bed.

How can you not identify us?

Did you not see that
there were travelers,
women and children?

[mc] Adolescent near
the rear of the SUV.

[sensor] Well, teenagers
can fight.

[mc] Pick up a weapon
and you're a combatant.

It's how that works.

[pilot] JAG25 KIRK97
be advised,

all pax are
finishing up praying

and rallying up
near all three vehicles
at this time.

[sensor] Oh sweet target.

I'd try to go through
the bed,

put it right dead center
of the bed.

[mc] Oh, that'd be perfect.

[pilot] And JAG25,
our screeners
are currently calling

21 MAMs, no females,
and two possible children.

How copy?

[JAG25] Roger.

And when we say children,

are we talking
teenagers or toddlers?

[sensor] I would say
about twelve.

Not toddlers.

[sensor] Something
more towards
adolescents or teens.

[JAG25] We'll pass that along
to the ground force commander.

But like I said,

Twelve, 13 years old
with a weapon
is just as dangerous.

[sensor] Oh, we agree. Yeah.

[mc] What's the
master plan, fellas?

[pilot] I don't know,

hope we get
to shoot the truck
with all the dudes in it.

[sensor] Yeah.

Sensor is in,
let the party begin.

[pilot] All right,
so the plan is, man,

we're going to watch
this thing go down,

the helo's are going
to take out
as much as they can

and when they Winchester,
we can play clean up.

[sensor] Hey, MC.

[mc] Yes?

[sensor] Remember: Kill chain!

[mc] Will do.

[sensor] Roger.

[sensor] And, oh...
There it goes!

[pilot] Our engagement.

[sensor] Stand by.

[woman speaking
in foreign language] We were
horrified and panicked.

The vehicles stopped
and we got out.

Then they hit the vehicle
behind us.

The men said that the women
should get out of the car.

We thought that they would
stop when they see women.

But they just continued
bombing us.

[pilot] They took the first
and the last out.

They’re going to come
back around.

[speaking in
foreign language]
This is the car.

When it stopped,

my husband tried
to get the children out.

[sensor] Looks like
they're surrendering.
They're not running.

[safety observer]
Dude, this is weird.

[sensor] They hit it.

You...

These guys are just...

[pilot] Holy shit!

[sensor] I don't know
about this. This is weird.

[pilot] That lady
is carrying a kid, huh?

Maybe.

[mc] No.

[sensor] Uh, yeah.

[mc] The baby, I think
on the right. Yeah.

[pilot] And that is affirm
for Kirk97.

Since the engagement,

we have not been able
to PID any weapons.

[indistinct chatter]

[man speaking
in foreign language]
Oh, that is my sweet child.

Your father wants to die.

Is this your son?

That is his son. He was killed.

Isn't he the brother of Gulam?

Yes, that is him.

Are there children
under the blanket?

Is this a child, too?

There are two or three.

[woman screams]

They are all dead.

[all crying]

That was a woman
and her son.

[somber music playing]

[cock crows]

[man] When
your body is intact,

your mind is different.

You are content.

But the moment
you are wounded,

your soul gets damaged.

When your leg is torn off
and your gait slows,

it also burdens your spirit.

Sometimes I am so sad
that my heart wants
to explode.

[indistinct chatter
in foreign language]

See, this is what
pisses me off.

Where these fucking
assholes are like,

they're saying in here,
"DGS supposedly sees
women and children."

They're saying the DGS
supposedly sees it.

We went to school
for almost a year,

to be able to identify
women and children.

And this is a daily thing.

Where the pilot and SO's,
and everybody that at Creech

is constantly saying,

"No, no, DGS is full of shit.
They don't see anything".

This happened all the time.

And I'd have to
literally sit there
arguing with these dickheads

and have them just
be saying shit like this

to the people
that I can't talk to.

Because I don't have
access to talk to them.

God damn the DGS
fucking hated Creech.

Because, they were always
trying to kill people.

They always wanted
to be blowing someone up.

And all these officers,

the Mick, the pilot,
all these people,

it looks good on their resume
if they kill more people.

And then, here they're saying
everything's supposedly...

DGS is supposedly...

calling this out.

And then they just have
an outright lie

that DGS didn't call out
any women or children

prior to this point when...

about an hour before that
was when they killed
all those people,

and DGS was saying right
before they killed them
that they saw children.

I know what crews
did this mission,

and it wasn't at my base.

I can safely say that.

'Cause I remember
this call sign.

But... this wasn't...
these crews weren't...

This DGS wasn't my DGS,
but they're all set up
the same,

in terms of the people
that are working them,

and that's just such bullshit.

There's this one thing in here
where the pilot's typing...

"The lady is carrying a kid,
huh? Maybe."

And then the sensor
operator says, "Uh, yeah".

If you were to read
a DGS transcript,

which you'll never
be able get your hands on,

you would see
lingo and jargon

specifically designed to make
statements short,

and make them possible,
probable or confirmed.

You wouldn't be seeing people
saying, "Maybe it's a kid".

"Uh, we don't know".

"Uh, we think,
it's a possible woman."

[scoffs] I couldn't talk
about this stuff,
because it's classified.

But now that I have
this unclassified thing
sitting right in front of me,

of these dickheads
saying all this shit
about us.

[sighs]

We were the ones who had
to really stop them
all the fucking time.

You shouldn't have to stop
your own people
from killing civilians.

[engine spluttering]

[McChrystal] To the great
people of Afghanistan,
Salaam-Alaikum.

I've spoken
with President Karzai,

and apologized to him.

And to the Afghan people.

I've instituted a thorough
investigation,

to prevent this
from happening again.

We're extremely saddened
by this tragic loss
of innocent lives.

I've made it clear
to our forces,

that we are here
to protect the Afghan people.

I pledge to strengthen our
efforts to regain your trust,

to build a brighter future
for all Afghans.

Most importantly,
I express my deepest,

heartfelt condolences
to the victims,

and to their families.

We all share in their grief,

and will keep them
in our thoughts
and prayers.

[indistinct chatter
in foreign language]

[man speaking in foreign]
Where I live is very far
from here.

There are no hospitals
that could make
leg prostheses.

No Red Cross stations.

I came to this center
to receive a new prosthesis.

It will make my life
much easier.

[indistinct chatter
in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

What did they tell you?

[woman] You know,
there was three buses

full of people,
from this village,

and one of the story
was that,

the wife lost the husband
and her child.

And he went outside
with the child,

and lifted up
and showing the child

to the helicopters
and the drones that

this is a really peaceful
family caravan
going someplace.

By the time
he turned around,
he was hit.

They're not stupid,
they know exactly what it is.

They know it's drones,
they know it's helicopters.

They told us, drone is...

A plane from above
and has cameras,
and they can watch and look

and take information.

They thought drone
was not for... strike them.

[radio in foreign language]
Today is Friday, June 2015.
It is 12:15 pm.

In Khost province
in the district of Ali Shir,

an area populated
by Kuchi nomads,

people were gathering
for the funeral
of a village elder.

When the mourners
traveled home,
a drone belonging

to coalition forces bombed
two of their cars.

Fifteen civilians
were killed.

[children laughing]

[somber music playing]

[Jesselyn] Daniel is in
the worst of all worlds

because the government

clearly has an espionage
investigation into him,

and now, this is
a sword of Damocles

hanging over his head

that he could
be indicted any day,

or years from now
for espionage,

because the government
suspects that

he is a source of information
about the drone program

that the government
doesn't want out there.

[Daniel] I've discussed with
my lawyers to the full extent,

everything that I think
that this investigation
could be about.

Lot of that is details
that I simply could never
talk about on film.

But what I will say is that

it's likely to do
with the fact

that I'm someone
who has both worked

for the intelligence community
and who is politically active,

and therefore, they
are suspicious of my...

of my background.

[indistinct chatter]

When did you
move here, September?

August. Yeah.

Probably remember
back in like, August,
I called you out of nowhere

-and asking you about about
-Yeah.

So, it's a long story to that.

I'm okay...but it's a bit
of a legal matter.

I just want to thank you
again for being available.

That's really very like...
if I couldn't get a hold
of you

I didn't know what
I was going to do.

Yeah, any time.

Yeah, thanks.

But it only got resolved?

It's in the middle of being
resolved. Hopefully.

But, as far as
now is concerned,
I can't talk about it.

Right now my
biggest concern is, uh...

it's certainly not school.
Even though I'm in school.

And it's basically like
the least thing I'm least
focused on,

even though it should
be the number one
priority right now.

But right now, I'm just
constantly...

going over my head
and constantly...

thinking about
what I'm saying.

And whom I'm saying it to.

And making sure that I'm not

saying anything to somebody,

whether a stranger
or somebody I know,

someone I think I can trust
or I know I can't trust.

I'm always afraid of saying
the wrong thing
at the wrong time.

And I'm always second guessing
my words everywhere I go.

I mean, personally I just
live everyday trying to...

become more and more
comfortable with the idea

that it's probably
gonna happen,

that I'm probably gonna get
indicted, and I'm probably
gonna get charged,

with a crime and that,

there's probably a real chance
I'll have to fight

to stay out of prison.

I think it's kind of funny,
a little ironic too,

because, uh...

so far I'm probably the...

only adult male
in my entire family,

immediate and external,
that has not been
to prison so far.

So... I come
from a long lineage
of prisoners, actually.

Great proud tradition
of fuck ups

who get drunk
and go driving
or sell pot or,

you know, carrying a gun
when they shouldn't
be carrying a gun.

In the wrong place
at the wrong time.
Lot of that.

We're from...

But, I've...

I don't know.

That is it scary,

to think about when
they meet in prison.

I don't have a good
answer for that.

Is it scary in prison?
Yes, that's it.

[laughs]

That's a friggin'
three minute yes.

[indistinct TV chatter]

[Jesselyn] All the clients
I've represented,

although I've represented
them pro-bono,

we have to involve criminal
defense attorneys
and all of them

owe legal bills upwards
of a million dollars.

And, that usually only goes

before trial even began.

The million dollar bill,

that doesn't even
take you through
the beginning of trial.

So the economic price alone,
not to mention

the personal price
of your relationships,

because you can't talk
to your friends and family

about what's going on.

You can't even talk to,
theoretically, to a therapist

about what's going on.

The emotional costs
are indescribable

and it's not
an exaggeration to say

that most of my clients

who've been
under espionage
criminal investigations,

it's not at all unusual
for them to end up,

blacklisted and bankrupt
and broken.

At a minimum, almost
every one of my clients

who had to deal with this
has suffered
from severe anxiety,

and depression,
and suicidal ideation.

And in terms of what
it could actually do to him,

it could imprison him
for decades.

It's kind of, it's a big day
but, it's also good because,

like, tomorrow I can wake up
and not think, "I wonder what
I'll hear from the VA."

Whatever they decide,
at least I know I don't have
to worry about it anymore.

[GPS system] Turn right
onto the I-5 ramp,
then merge onto I-5 South.

I'm sure they won't even know
what my job was
in the military.

That's gonna be interesting.

If it's a civilian company
they're outsourcing to.

So, they'll be like,
"Wait, what?"

"What's a Predator?
What's a Reaper?"

So, that should be interesting
and that should probably

have a lot to do with
if I don’t get my disability.

Don't get the disability.

We'll see.

I can see that
they have ample parking.

I don't care about the money.
It's about...

It's about...

recognizing that
someone can see...

terrible things,

and still need to talk
to someone about it.

And still need to...

figure out
how to heal from that
without having to get shot at,

or without having
to be in the war zone.

It's about...

understanding that people
see traumatic things,

and that can affect them
just as much as

if you're involved in
the traumatic things.

Because you are
directly involved
in the drone program

whether people think
they are or not.

But they'll decide that for me.

When I went in I was, like,

I was expecting
the whole thing to be
them coming up with reasons

why I don't have PTSD.

And the guy sat down
and he was so nice.

[crying]

He sat down
and he was like,

"So, I was looking
at your papers

"and seems like you saw
a lot of really awful things,"

and he's like, he had me
describe some of them and
stuff and I started crying,

and he gave me tissues
and he's just like...

"I'm so sorry," he's like,
"I'm so sorry you had
to see these things."

Like, he's like, [sniffles]

"You're way too young
for that, you know".

It's really tough and we're
gonna try to get you the best
home we can get you.

And, like, it was...

he was like, "You know
it's good that you're
coming in here

"and I'm really glad you're
seeing a therapist regularly."

And he's like, "These are
all things that can really
help you," and he's like,

"I see a lot of people
with PTSD" and he's
like, "I promise",

"it's not always gonna
be like this

"you're gonna eventually
have days where, like,
it's a lot easier."

He's like, "Hopefully,
you won't feel as guilty
as you do forever."

[waves splashing]

[Daniel] It's really tough...

to describe what
that feeling is like.

You know, having the image
in your head...

of, you know, just taking
your own life...

is like it's...

it's not a good feeling,
it's not something...

people should have
to deal with.

And, yet... despite...
yet we do.

Yet we do have those
thoughts sometimes.

When we are, in our...

in our darkest places
and we have...

a lot to worry about,

and the future is uncertain.

And, we are...

you know, we feel guilty
about our past actions

or something of that sort.
I'm not sure.

[somber music playing]

[indistinct TV chatter]

[woman on TV] A federal jury
in Virginia has convicted
former CIA officer,

Jeffery Sterling,
of nine felony counts
including espionage.

Prosecutors accused
Sterling of leaking
classified information

to journalist James Ryes
of the New York Times.

Supporters of Sterling
described him
as a whistle-blower,

but prosecutors claimed
he leaked the information
to the settle a score

with the agency.

Sterling's scheduled
to be sentenced in April.

He faces a maximum
possible sentence
of decades in prison.

[somber music continues]

[door closes]

[man speaking
in foreign language]
They apologized many times

and then they repeated it.

They committed the same
atrocities again.

They have bombed
innocent fellow Afghans

at weddings
and other occasions.

They didn't keep their promise.

All we ask
is that these attacks
don’t happen again.

Many Afghans have already
been maimed or killed.

It shouldn't happen anymore.

This is all I want.

[indistinct chatter
in foreign language]

Even though I was
crippled and disabled,

I still don't feel worthless
or unable to feed my children.

I don't think of myself
as a person without hope.

Because if I feel hopeless,
my children will also
lose hope.

This is my wish
for our foreign brothers:

These things have happened.
I lost my limb.

Those who were killed,
may they rest in peace.

But in the future,
please do not commit

such horrible acts
on our Afghan people.

It is unbearable.

I was told that
they forgave me

for the part I played in
what happened to them.

And... that's amazing.

And when you think about that
these people are considered,
you know,

of military age, terrorists,
all of that...

[gulps]

you can see people's hearts.

I just want people
to know that

not everybody
is a freaking terrorist,

and we need to just
get out of that mindset.

And we need to see these
people as people, families,

communities, brothers,
mothers, and sisters,

because that's
who they are.

Imagine if this
was happening to us.

Imagine if our children
were walking outside
of their door,

and it was a sunny day,

and they were afraid
because they didn't
know if today

was they day that something
was gonna fall out of the sky

and kill someone
close to them.

How would we feel?

[somber music playing]

[Daniel] I think as any
activist would be,

I am primarily optimistic
about the world,

you know, for all the
cynicism and pessimism
that comes out of me.

I think that when it
really comes down to it,
you just have...

you have a love
for humanity,

a love for human beings
and one another,
that you believe that

there is the possibility
of change.

And that another world
is possible, as they say.

[Heather] If I see an article
about the drone program
or something,

and see how people talk
about cold hearted
killers, things like that.

That was me.
Like, that was my job.

Of course, it still is me.

That's... You are your history.

But, um...

if you have
any conscious at all,

you know that
what you did was wrong,

and you know that

for the rest of your life,
it's gonna be there.

You can't undo
what you did,

and you can't bring
those people back.

So, it's something
that you live with.

[somber music continues]

[Lisa] We are in
the United States of America,
and we are participating

in an overseas war.

A war overseas,

and we have no
connection to it,

other than wires
and keyboards.

Now if that doesn't
scare the crap out of you,

it does out of me.

Because if that's
the only connection,

why stop?

[rock music playing]

♪ There's a new national bird ♪

♪ I'm just an organism ♪

♪ Not in an organization
Of peace ♪

♪ Shoveled and shared
In the belly of the beast ♪

♪ You got roped in
On an economic trap ♪

♪ Couple years gone
And the system is done ♪

♪ And the chain of command
Doesn't care ♪

♪ If you see your mama again ♪

♪ What's a number
To a dumb computer ♪

♪ When you come
From a place where ♪

♪ Making a living is
Making a killing ♪

♪ Shipped in to feeds
And it's onto the next spot ♪

♪ The destroyer of worlds
That came in on X-box ♪

♪ I mean it's cynical, son ♪

♪ Why you think our duty
Donates money to room
To warrior fund? ♪

♪ The last star fighter
Hardest over
Your leather bag ♪

♪ Takes out a target
And is home
For the soccer game ♪

♪ What have I become?
What has world become? ♪

♪ Ain't no citizens
In this new world ♪

♪ Only great decks and a box
Of loaded carts to burn ♪

♪ By the time
You learn this rule ♪

♪ A few of you
Are in the green zone ♪

♪ Look at the trap that
You've walked in to ♪

♪ Look at the trap ♪

♪ Look back to the desert
The one that in Nevada ♪

♪ You can be born in Aurora
To a Muslim scholar ♪

♪ Children in travel regions
Pray for a foggy days ♪

♪ 'Cause clear skies bring
Volleys from worlds away ♪

♪ You will never see
The city the same ♪

♪ Only a sociopath
Remains unchanged ♪

♪ And then while we smoke
The weed out ♪

♪ 18 years to build
the coffin,
30 years to breed out ♪

♪ It's an army of one,
Group at the top ♪

♪ Send in strangers to kill
With a leveled gun ♪

♪ Our daily life
Dedicated on death ♪

♪ The violence beneath
Send strangers to kill ♪

♪ The new national bird ♪

♪ Its wing-span is 66 feet ♪

♪ The old ones habitat
Is disappearing ♪

♪ Sorry, bald eagle,
You're obsolete ♪

♪ What I am is what I am,
And what I've done is
What I've done ♪

♪ I can't run to
Make right none ♪

♪ Takes more than bleach
To clean all the blood off ♪

♪ More than a protest
More than a valid initiative ♪

[Until I remember playing]

♪ Oh, there's broken dreams ♪

♪ In your hand, while I ♪

♪ Try to fall asleep ♪

♪ And tell the stars to fall
And to land ♪

♪ Where we might be
The ones to find ♪

♪ And keep them safe ♪

♪ Until I remember it all ♪

♪ Safe until I know ♪

♪ Let's keep them safe ♪

♪ Until I remember ♪

♪ I remember it all ♪

♪ Make them fold ♪