Taroudant - Following United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s recent blunders over the issue of the Sahara, the Jewish Moroccan Community of Toronto, Canada has issued a statement expressing its solidarity with and commitment to Morocco and its sovereignty over the Sahara.

In an exclusive press release issued to Morocco World News, the president of the Jewish Moroccan Community of Toronto Simon Keslassy said that the Jewish community in Toronto hails “the peaceful march held Sunday in Rabat” as “a solemn moment to reaffirm loudly that the Sahara was, is and will always be Moroccan and an integral and indivisible part of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom.”

The Jewish community said that “our hearts and our souls are present in Morocco to celebrate with our compatriots this great peaceful and civilized march,” despite the long distance which keeps us apart.

The statement affirmed “Our bonds of fidelity and loyalty to our most respected and beloved His Majesty King Mohammed VI –- May God glorify him — and our unwavering commitment to the glorious Alawite Throne.”

The Moroccan Jews of Toronto said that they remain very attached to “our native country, Morocco,” adding that they are “united and strongly mobilized behind our Sovereign to thwart the maneuvers and conspiracies of the enemies.”

They added that they are all mobilized to defend Morocco’s national sovereignty and ready to defend the very relevant, realistic, and credible initiatives that Morocco has presented to end permanently the issue of the Sahara.

“We made it our patriotic duty to lobby in the new federal government of Canada so that Canada can join the community of nations that support our cause, the Moroccan Sahara.”

During his recent visit to Tindouf and Algiers on the Sahara issue, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon abandoned his diplomatically required impartiality and neutrality and described Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces as an “occupation.”

After Ban Ki-moon’s unprecedented remarks, Morocco organized a march on March 13 in Rabat, where more than three million people from all regions of Morocco marched and raised patriotic slogans denouncing the United Nations Secretary General’s statements regarding the Sahara.

The Moroccan government released a press release expressing its strongest protest against the remarks made by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his visit.

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Rabat - In his speech on the occasion of the National Journey of Civil Society, Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane recommended civil society organizations not seek fortune in governmental financial support.

Benkirane said that the number of civil society organizations in Morocco exceeded 130,000 in 2016. He added that the organizations play a major role in Morocco by complementing the performance of the government.

The Head of Government also added that Morocco has become a leading country in the domain of civil society in the Arab world thanks to the work of its associations, indicating that these associations cope with societal developments know better how to deal with its problems.

There is a need for associations to become greater, according to Benkirane. This is because society needs human sense in dealing with its problems, which is the work done by civil society associations, unlike political society, which handles these issues in a stiff way.

“The government’s budget is about 300 billion MAD, and society will be better if we devout 1 percent of it to civil society [organizations],” stated Benkirane.

It worth mentioning that civil society in Morocco has acquired more authorities with the new communal law, which gives it the authority to propose and oppose projects and to participate in managing local affairs and decision-making in collaboration with the local authorities.

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Rabat - Following the tragic story of the little boy Imran who was subject to a sexual and physical abuse, a Moroccan mother launched an online petition on Avaaz.org addressed to King Mohammed VI, calling for the adoption of the death penalty against pedophiles.

“I am a mother and I am traumatized after what happened to the little boy Imran,” wrote Ghita B., the author of the petition.

“I do not feel safe in my country. I am afraid for my son, for all children. I want every pedophile who abuses a little angel to be sentenced to death, and make an example for other inhuman pedophiles,” the mother added.

The petition has garnered already 1,652 signatures.

Crimes of solicitation of minors and their sexual abuse are punishable with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison under the Moroccan Penal Code.

However, La Coalition Contre les Actes Pedophiles (the Moroccan Coalition Against Child Abuse) said in its annual report on pedophilia in Morocco, published last November, that the number of reported child abuse cases in 2015 reached 935, an increase of 10 percent compared to 2014 (850 cases).

Khalid Cherkapoui, President of the Coalition, reportedly said that most of the court rulings against convicted pedophiles in 2015 were light.

“Most of court rulings against convicted pedophiles were between one year and four years in jail… Some pedophiles were even released, due to lack of evidence,” Cherkaoui said.

The four-year-old boy, Imran, was subject to a brutal assault last week by a sixteen-year-old homeless boy, who raped him, and threw him in a deserted place in Hay Hassani, Casablanca, before the authorities found him in terrible condition.

Moroccan media reported that King Mohammed VI ordered the transfer of the little boy to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital in Casablanca to receive the necessary medical care.

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Rabat - Upon instructions of King Mohammed VI, Moroccan security officials arrived, Monday in Abidjan, to lend support to Ivorian authorities in their investigations into Sunday’s mass shooting at a beach resort in Côte d'Ivoire.

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By Asmaa Bahadi

Rabat - Under the motto "All for alternatives based on sustainable development, health and human rights," Ilyass ElOmari, President of the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, will organize the first international conference on drugs and cannabis on 18 and 19 March in Tangier.  

This conference is part of the preparatory procedures for this year’s United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), which will address drugs. The session will be held in New York between 19 and 21 April.

Cannabis is commonly known in Morocco by its processed forms “kif” and “hashish.” Morocco is one of the world’s top producers of hashish. Today, nearly all of Morocco’s cannabis production can be found in the Rif Mountains, which stretch from the Mediterranean Sea to the port city of Tangier.

The drug industry provides a much needed economic base for the poor in this region, who rely heavily on the crop for subsistence. This multi-million-dollar industry has continued to grow because of the high demand for the quality cannabis that is produced and processed in Morocco. Both factors explain in part why government efforts to shut down the national drug industry have been unsuccessful.

Buying and smoking kif and hashish remain illegal activities in Morocco. However, some political parties, including PAM and the Istiqlal party, advocate for the legalization of cannabis use in the medical and industrial sectors.

A number of decision-makers will be attending the conference. Driss El Yazami, President of the National Council for Human Rights; Nizar Baraka, President of the Economic and Social and Environmental Council; and Mohammed Tozy ,President of Targa-AIDE, will all be present at the event.

The seminar will also host international drug experts from the following countries: Bolivia, Columbia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.

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Rabat - South by Southwest officials have apologized to the Muslim Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad after she was denied registration at the festival in Austin, Texas on Saturday for wearing a hijab.

The organizers of South by Southwest, an annual set of film, interactive media, and music festivals that takes place in mid-March in Austin, Texas in the United States, were angered by their employer who asked Muhammad to remove her headscarf before she would be given credentials to get into the festival.

The American Olympian tweeted about the incident on Saturday afternoon.

I was just asked to remove my hijab at SXSW Registration for my ID badge.. I can't make this stuff up #SXSW2016

— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016

She also tweeted that she was given the wrong ID badge, with her name misprinted on the badge.

Thennnnn I was given the wrong ID! From now on my name is Tamir & I work for Time Warner Inc #SXSW2016 pic.twitter.com/TE3jJR16P6

— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016

Immediately after the tweets went viral, the officials of the festival released a statement, apologizing to the Muslim American fencer.

"It is not our policy that a hijab or any religious head covering be removed in order to pick up a SXSW badge," the statement read.

"This was one volunteer who made an insensitive request and that person has been removed for the duration of the event. We are embarrassed by this and have apologized to Ibtihaj in person, and sincerely regret this incident," they added.

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Rabat - A free International Education Fair will be organized by Casablanca International Consulting Center and Learning Group in Rabat and Casablanca.

The twelfth edition of the International Education Fair will be held by the two institutions in Dawliz Hotel in Rabat on Friday the 18^th of March, and Idou-Anfa Hotel in Casablanca on Saturday the19^th.

As usual, the fair represents a meeting platform between international universities and Moroccan students wishing to continue their studies abroad. Universities from four continents will take part in the event to explain to students the specifics of the educational programs they offer.

Morocco World News interviewed the president of Casablanca International Consulting Center, Mr. Mohamed Elmkhantar, who stated that “in recent years International universities have come to recognize the importance of Morocco as a prospective market, given the quantity and the quality of Moroccan students who continue their studies abroad.”

“Once again” Elmkhantar added “we welcome students from all over the country to attend the fair with or without their parents and meet with the representatives of the universities where they wish to study. And once again, the entry is free of charge”

Mr. El Mesnaoui Abdelouahab, the founder and president of Learning Group Academy, who was also interviewed by Morocco World News, said that his institution “has committed itself to organizing this fair for twelve years in a row for the benefits it has endowed thousands of students, such as making clear decisions in regards to their educational plans.”

Talking about this twelfth edition, Mr El Mesnaoui explained that International Students Officers from different universities will participate in this fair to answer the students’ questions and queries, and provide them with all sorts of information about the application procedures. He continued that the organizers have a long history in helping thousands of students apply to their dream universities anywhere in the world.

The two institutions specialize in educational consulting and have assisted many students to study in many universities abroad.

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Moscow - King Mohammed VI and Russia president Vladimir Putin chaired, Tuesday in the Kremlin, the signing ceremony of several bilateral cooperation agreements in various fields.

The first agreement covers extradition between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Russian Federation, while the second is an agreement on air services.

The third agreement is a cooperation agreement in the fields of environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources, while the fourth agreement covers cooperation in sea fisheries.

The fifth is an agreement on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, while the sixth agreement covers the mutual protection of classified information in the military and military-technical fields.

The seventh one is a declaration on the fight against international terrorism.

 As part of the official visit paid by King Mohammed VI to Russia, the two countries signed these agreements:

- A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the energy field.

- A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of geological research and exploration of the subsoil.

- A memorandum of understanding between Morocco's National Health Security Office of Foodstuffs (ONSSA) and Russia's Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance.

- A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of veterinary supervision.

- A joint action program for 2016-2018 in the field of tourism.

- A memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Morocco's Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Russia's Central Religious Organization (Shura Council of Russian Muftis).

- A framework partnership agreement between the National Foundation of Museums and Moscow Kremlin's Museums.

- A framework agreement on cooperation between the National Foundation of Museums (Morocco) and the Hermitage Museum (Russian Federation).

- A protocol for exchanging information on the movement of goods and vehicles between Morocco and the Russian Federation.

The signing ceremony was attended by members of the Russian government and the official delegation accompanying HM the King.

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Rabat - The Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco are against any violation of the UN Security Council resolutions regarding the settlement of the Sahara issue.

"The Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco do not support any temptation to accelerate or haste the political process, nor any violation of the parameters defined in the Security Council resolutions" to find a solution to the Sahara issue, said the "Declaration on the deep strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco" issued Tuesday in Moscow on the occasion of the official visit of King Mohammed VI.

The statement comes the heightened tension between Morocco and United Nations Secretariat after Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon made statement that have been regarded as biased by the Moroccan government.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for his part, stressed at a press briefing that the UN should "continue to play a constructive role despite recent misunderstandings". "It's an old problem, a very serious problem. (...) But we see no other solution than seeking a compromise," he insisted.

During his recent trip to Algiers and the Tindouf camps on March 5-7, the UN chief used the term “occupation” while referring to Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

In addition to the use if the term “occupation,” the UN chief stressed that the UN Mission in the territory, known by its French acronym as MINURSO, was “ready to conduct a referendum of self-determination if the parties involved” agreed to proceed with it.

The Moroccan government saw in this statement a deviation from UN Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007, which call on the parties to strive towards reaching an agreed upon and mutually acceptable political solution.

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Rabat - A video posted on YouTube shows the undiplomatic way in which Ban Ki-moon welcomed Morocco’s Foreign Minister on Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Contrary to diplomatic practice, the UN chief greeted the Moroccan Foreign Minister without the respect due to the representative of a member state.

There was no exchange of words between the UN chief and his Moroccan guest who looked to be shocked by the less-than-professional way in which Ban Ki-moon received him.

During the meeting, the UN chief expressed his anger and disappointment with Morocco for the March in which three millions of Moroccans participated last Sunday to protest against the statement he made during his trip to the Tindouf camps on March 5.

During his tour in the region, Ban Ki-moon described Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara as 'Occupation," which stoked the ire of Rabat and the Moroccan people.

Analysts say Ban Ki-moon's expression of anger and disappointment is unworthy of an UN Secretary General.

A UN expert, who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity, told Morocco World News that Ban Ki-moon’s statements are dangerous and unprecedented, as they infringe on people’s universal right to protest peacefully and run against the principle of the United Nations he is supposed to uphold.

“I never heard this Secretary General or any other UNSG before him or any high ranking international public servant criticize people for protesting,” the UN expert told MWN.

“This is even worse, because people protested against his remarks. So his complaint basically means ‘nobody can disagree with me.’ This is bad coming from a dictator, but coming from the UNSG ins bad and ridiculous,” he added.

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Laayoune, Morocco - More than 180,000 people participated in a spontaneous popular march Tuesday in the southern city of Laayoune to denounce the verbal blunders of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.

The march, organized at the initiative of sheikhs and notables of Sahrawi tribes, politicians, trade unions and the civil society, started from Sheikh Mohamed Laghdef center towards the headquarters of MINURSO.

The participants expressed their attachment to the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and the constants of the Nation, as well as their categorical rejection of the statements of the UN Secretary General on the Moroccan Sahara in an atmosphere reminiscent of the patriotic fervor of the Green March.

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Rabat - Morocco has decided to react in a firm manner to Ban Ki-moon statements and escalation against Morocco. A statement released by the foreign ministry on Tuesday said Rabat has decided to reduce the presence of the UN Mission, known as MINURSO, in the Sahara.

Salaheddine Mezouar, said a statement from the Foreign Ministry, “conveyed to the United Nations Secretary General the denunciation and total rejection by all the components of the Moroccan people of his unacceptable remarks about the Moroccan Sahara issue.”

Moroccan authorities believe that such actions “are incompatible with the responsibilities and mission of the S.G,” said a statement of the Foreign Ministry.

“Faced with this dangerous drift, Morocco decided a significant reduction of much of the civilian component and, in particular, the political segment of MINURSO.”

The Moroccan government has also decided to cancel the voluntary contribution granted by Morocco to the maintenance of MINURSO, the statement added.

At the same time, the Moroccan government has decided to consider the withdrawal of Moroccan troop engaged in peacekeeping operations.

Morocco reserves the legitimate right to resort to other measures that may be required to take to defend its supreme interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity

“It was recalled in S.G that the term "occupation" used to describe the presence of Morocco in its Sahara is a legal absurdity and a serious political error,” the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The use of this reference is an insult to the Moroccan people who made great sacrifices to gradually regain its independence and defend its territorial integrity.

The use of referendums mentioned to solve this regional dispute was and dismissed by the Security Council, says the same source.

The minister reiterated the urgency for S.G not to refrain from tackle the initiative of autonomy that retains its preeminence in Security Council resolutions.

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Rabat - Lack of data renders older women invisible in the face of violence and discrimination, says HelpAge International.

HelpAge International is calling for more to be done to end violence and abuse against older women, saying that a lack of data is leaving them at risk.

“Data on physical and sexual violence against women usually stops at age 49, effectively excluding a quarter of the world’s women”, said Bridget Sleap, Senior Rights Policy Adviser at HelpAge International, speaking at the Commission on the Status of Women this week. “When women reach age 50 any violence and abuse against them usually goes unrecorded”.

HelpAge International has signed a joint NGO statement for the Commission, taking place this month, calling for more to be done to end violence and abuse against older women, including through comprehensive data collection, disaggregated by age and gender, and effective policies and legislation.

With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals last year, 193 UN Member States agreed to work to ‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ but some of the indicators used to measure progress towards this goal ignore older women.

Targets in the SDGs to eliminate female genital mutilation and ensure women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services will monitor progress by only looking at women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49. The experiences of women over the age of 49 will be ignored.

Member States and civil society groups have been successful in calling for the removal of age brackets measuring violence against women and the prevalence of certain diseases. HelpAge International is calling for concrete commitments to remove the age brackets where they still exist.

A 2013 UN report, Neglect, Abuse and Violence against Older Women, highlights that older women are often excluded from legislation on domestic violence and that greater understanding of the neglect, abuse and violence they experience is needed.

In a joint WHO-UN report surveying 133 countries, only 17 per cent reported having data on elder abuse. Although 59 per cent said they have laws to prevent elder abuse, only 30 per cent said that these were fully enforced.

“This year’s Commission is a great opportunity for the world to address the challenges faced by older women”, said Toby Porter, Chief Executive Officer at HelpAge International, also speaking at the Commission. “The international community needs to recognise that women experience multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination and it’s only by addressing all of them that the goal of gender equality can be realized.”

Photo credit: © Muthande Society for the Aged

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Rabat - Bank of China, one of the five largest state-owned commercial banks in China, inaugurated its Moroccan branch in Casablanca on March 15.

"It is an honor and a privilege for me to welcome to Casablanca Finance City a major financial institution of international repute, which represents the first Asian financial institution to join our ecosystem," said Said Ibrahimi, CEO of Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA).

According to Chinese officials, the bank seeks to strengthen economic and investment relations with Morocco.

First, Bank of China will support the Chinese government’s enterprise development strategy in Francophone Africa. Second, the bank will offer Moroccan and African companies wishing to expand commercial relations with China expertise and in-depth knowledge of the Chinese market.

The bank’s newest branch will also participate in the financing of trade between Africa and China.

"Morocco and China should take advantage of their complementarity and transform the potential of the African continent into a driving force for the development of both peoples,” said Sun Shuzhong, the Chinese Ambassador of to Morocco.

Following the visit of a delegation led by Yue Yi, Bank of China’ Executive Vice-President, the bank was awarded the Casablanca Finance City (CFC) status label.

The CFC status, created by Law No. 44-10, as amended and supplemented by Law 68-12, is a label that gives financial companies access to multiple advantages, including many tax incentives and exchange facilities as well as various other facilities for conducting business.

Founded in 1912, Bank of China is the oldest bank in the Asian country, ranking fourth on Forbes’ list of the “World’s Biggest Public Companies in 2015.”

The bank has more than 600 branches worldwide, including those in Africa.

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Rabat - A new world ranking of countries by literacy puts Morocco at 58th, the bottom of the ranking.

The study, conducted by John W. Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in New Britain, Conn., analyzes trends in literate behavior and literacy in more than 60 countries.

Qatar came on the top of the three Arab countries mentioned in the ranking at 45th, followed by Tunisia with the 52nd spot and Morocco at the bottom of the list at 58th.

In a statement, Miller said, “The factors we examined present a complex and nuanced portrait of a nation’s cultural vitality, and what the rankings strongly suggest and world literacy demonstrates is that these kinds of literate behaviors are critical to the success of individuals and nations in the knowledge-based economics that define our global future.”

The study found that Nordic countries are among the most literate in the world.

According to the CCSU website, ”The World’s Most Literate Nations (WMLN) ranks nations on—not their populace’s ability to read but rather—their populace’s literate behaviors and their supporting resources.”

The rankings are based on 15 variables grouped in five categories that represent indicators of the literate health of nations, including libraries, newspapers, education inputs and outputs, and computer availability.

The rankings look at variables related to tested literacy achievement — scores on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)— as well as to literate behavior characteristics.

In the recent ranking of school performances across 76 countries conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), Morocco ranked 73rd with students lagging behind their peers from other nations in basic math and science skills.

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Washington  -   The statements of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his recent visit to Tindouf and Algiers showed his "ignorance" of the importance of the Sahara in Morocco's history, Jason Isaacson, Director of Government and International Affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), said on Wednesday.

"The statements of UN Secretary General show an ignorance of the importance of the Sahara in Morocco's history and the development momentum" that transforms the lives of local populations, Isaacson told Medradio.

He also noted that Ban Ki-moon seems to have ignored that Morocco, an ally of the United States, plays a "dominant" role in the international community, noting that the Kingdom has always contributed to promoting peace and stability in the region.

"It's unfortunate to see Ban depart from the prudent neutrality which is associated with the position of the Secretary General of an international organization whose mechanisms seek to settle conflicts around the world", Isaacson said, underlining that this position requires neutrality and impartiality.

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Rabat - Google Business Group (GBG) Fès is organizing its first event of the year, “Intro to Growth Hacking,” which will take place on March 19 at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services for the Fez region.

The term “growth hacking” was coined by Sean Ellis, the CEO of Qualaroo, in 2010. Growth hacking is a marketing technique developed by tech startups which aims to reduce the costs of marketing and gain more clients by using alternatives to traditional marketing, such as social media and viral marketing.

The upcoming event targets entrepreneurs and those working for new startups based in the Fez and Meknes region. GBG Fès aims to introduce event participants to the concept of growth hacking and teach them the tools, strategies and advantages of growth hacking so that they may apply it to their own businesses.

This is not the first time that GBG Fès has organized an event like this. So far, the organization has organized six events in the Fez region.

GBG Fès is an independent community-led group of business professionals in the Fez region. Google business groups are formed in different areas with the goal of “sharing knowledge about Google web technologies for business success.”

GBG Fès is a user-run group with an interest in Google technology for business. The group’s events and activities are organized independently from Google, the company.

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London - Winner of six international awards, Drone is an upcoming two-part documentary on Al Jazeera English about the defining weapon of the war on terror.

Tracking the rise of drones from their early use catching tuna, the disturbing documentary shows how their remote-controlled form of warfare has both drone pilots and drone strike survivors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to Drone, the US military are recruiting drone pilots in their teens at gaming conventions. As former drone pilot Michael Haas says: “I had no idea what I was in for… I wasn’t even 20 years old… I thought it was the coolest damn thing in the world - to play video games all day.”

“Video gamers do have a skillset that is very important and actually enhances the skillset of drone operators,” says Missy Cummings, a former US navy pilot. “We don’t need Top Gun pilots anymore; we need Revenge of the Nerds.”

“There’s always been a connection between the world of war and the world of entertainment,” says P. W. Singer, author of Wired for War. “I call this phenomenon ‘Militainment,’ where the military world is now pulling tools from the world of entertainment to do its job better. The military has invested in creating video games that they’re using as recruiting tools.”

A repeated theme in the documentary is that drone warfare’s combination of distance and invulnerability has a psychological impact and breeds indifference.

“You never know who you’re killing because you never actually see a face – you just have a silhouette, so it’s easy to have that detachment and that lack of empathy for human life,” says Haas. “It’s easy to really just think of them as something else. They’re not people; they’re just terrorists.”

“We sat in a box for nearly 12 hour shifts,” says former drone operator Brandon Bryant. “All the lights were usually off, except for the lights coming from the monitors. We were the ultimate voyeurs, the ultimate peeping toms. No one was going to catch us. We were getting orders to take these people’s lives. It was just point and click.”

According to Drone, the victims of drone attacks are not just terrorists, but innocent children and civilians, and even their rescuers. This means that drone attacks are arguably breeding the terrorists they seek to remove.

“Tell me how we’re winning, when every time we kill four [potential terrorists], we create 10?” asks Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, a former chief of staff for Colin Powell.  He points out that drone warfare is a particularly dangerous approach, because: “There has never been any technology of warfare that isn’t ultimately adopted by your enemy or enemies.”

Drone is directed by Norwegian Tonje Hessen Schei, who says. “I think the US is setting a very dangerous precedent with their use of drones, killing thousands of people outside declared battlefields, with no transparency or accountability. There are urgent issues of possible war crimes, human rights and international laws of war that need our immediate attention. With Drone, we give a voice to people on different sides of the new warfare, and I hope the film will spark a much-needed international debate on the US secret use of drones, who we are as a world community, and where we are heading.”

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