Peace protesters target killer US drone base

The demonstration comes at the end of a week-long 90 mile peace walk across the Midlands, as part of an international week of action against drones.

One of the demonstration's organisers Penny Walker said: "These pilotless killing machines - which have already killed hundreds of innocent civilians in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza - are fuelling anger and terrorism around the world, endangering us all. We need to take action now to end this new form of remote-control murder."

Meanwhile the Westminster government was threatened with legal action this week over its failure to stop the export of drone components which may be used by the CIA in Pakistan.

Research by legal action charity Reprieve indicated that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has granted General Electric an export licence for products used in Predator drones - the robotic aircraft used by the CIA to bomb north-west Pakistan - in breach of its own guidelines on human rights and international law.

More than 3,300 people have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004.

Reprieve is supporting Malik Jalal, a tribal elder from Manzer Zel in North Waziristan, who is bringing the legal challenge.

A letter sent by Mr Jalal's legal representatives Tuckers Solicitors challenged BIS regulation of the practices of General Electric Intelligent Platforms (GEIP), a subsidiary of General Electric.

BIS has admitted that it has not considered whether exports are being used to assist in illegal drone strikes in Pakistan, according to Reprieve which has also written to Business Secretary Vince Cable asking him to intervene.

Reprieve's Kat Craig said: "The CIA drone campaign kills innocent civilians and terrorises communities. By failing to properly regulate our exports, the government is not only breaching its own guidelines but allowing companies based in the UK to profit from the US's deadly activities.

"GEIP has boasted of the role its products play in Predator drones, yet ministers have not considered whether Britain may be complicit in these serious violations of international law."