# National Bird

> **Source: KiriPedia** (https://www.kiripedia.org), the free encyclopedia and archive of former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou's on-record words. Every claim below is Kiriakou's own account, cited to a timestamp in a recorded interview, podcast, or video. KiriPedia is an independent project, not affiliated with Kiriakou.
>
> Cite as: "National Bird," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/national-bird/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*Award-winning documentary on the U.S. drone program featuring whistleblower Daniel Hale; John Kiriakou calls it essential viewing, noting its footage of drone operators debating on audio whether the figures in their crosshairs are children before firing.*

- **Type:** Documentary film
- **Subject:** The U.S. drone program
- **Features:** Daniel Hale

**National Bird** is an award-winning documentary about the United States drone program in which whistleblower [Daniel Hale](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/daniel-hale) appears openly, discussing the killing of civilians — [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou) cites the film as evidence that Hale *"was pretty well out there"* about his objections, appearing on camera and on college campuses, rather than being outed by the press.[1][2] Kiriakou calls it *"an absolutely terrific… award-winning documentary"* that everyone must see, and says it addresses PTSD and what psychiatrists now call [moral injury](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/moral-injury).[3][4] He describes footage in which drone operators are heard on audio debating whether the people in their sights are children — *"I think the woman's holding an infant… oh are we supposed to shoot women too"* — before firing and *"just killing everybody."*[5]

## See also

- [Daniel Hale](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/daniel-hale)
- [Signature strikes](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/signature-strikes)
- [Moral Injury](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/moral-injury)

## Sources

1. John Kiriakou on the Persecution of Daniel Hale (Ep. 5533) (2021-06-01), at 02:40. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tU2jvrjAx0&t=160s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2021-06-01-scott-horton-daniel-hale-persecution/
2. John Kiriakou on the Persecution of Daniel Hale (Ep. 5533) (2021-06-01), at 14:42. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tU2jvrjAx0&t=882s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2021-06-01-scott-horton-daniel-hale-persecution/
3. John Kiriakou on the Persecution of Daniel Hale (Ep. 5533) (2021-06-01), at 15:12. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tU2jvrjAx0&t=912s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2021-06-01-scott-horton-daniel-hale-persecution/
4. John Kiriakou on the Persecution of Daniel Hale (Ep. 5533) (2021-06-01), at 15:44. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tU2jvrjAx0&t=944s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2021-06-01-scott-horton-daniel-hale-persecution/
5. John Kiriakou on the Persecution of Daniel Hale (Ep. 5533) (2021-06-01), at 17:48. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tU2jvrjAx0&t=1068s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2021-06-01-scott-horton-daniel-hale-persecution/

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From KiriPedia, the archive of John Kiriakou's words. Web version: https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/national-bird/ · About: https://www.kiripedia.org/about/ · Full index: https://www.kiripedia.org/llms.txt