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Use of drones in the war on terror
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Throughout the world, every day, there are many terrorist activities occurring. Many of which occur in areas where there are communities of people living around there. Yet, how is the military supposed to stop these terrorists? Nowadays the military has begun using drones to stop these savages from causing any more damage. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles which are used for both surveillance and targeting specified suspects. They can either be piloted by someone on the ground or they can be programmed to follow a certain flight track. Since the early 2000's, the military has begun using drones to hunt down and kill these terrorists. At first, they were only used as an "eye in the sky"; watching over the terrorists and sending back live images to the military. But since 2004, the military has begun using these drones not only as surveillance but also as hunt and kill mechanisms. In turn, due to increasing terrorist activities especially around Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, drones are becoming the solution for the military since they are both very convenient and very effective.
Due to evolution and technological advancements, the military is able to use many different types of drones for different "jobs". Usually, drones are used when manned flight is too dangerous. They use precision strikes to target and kill suspected terrorists while also providing live images and surveillance for up to 17 hours ("Drones"). Two drones in specific are very common in the military for performing these tasks. The MQ-1B Predator drone is used in "medium altitude, long endurance" missions in which it usually provides images and other resourceful information the military might need (Levs). Whereas, the MQ-9 Reaper drones is used pri...
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... the military to use in extinguishing terrorist from performing any more wrongdoings and should remain in use for times to come.
In the end, the use of drones for military purposes should continue due to their efficiency and convenience. Not only do they help in times in which manned flight is too dangerous, but they are also the reason through surveillance that the U.S. Military was able to send men into Bin Laden's compound and have most of them come out in good condition while completing the mission they were sent to finish. Also, they are constantly evolving with new technology making them even more of a lethal, yet effective way of expelling terrorists without harming others. Thus, through technological advancement along with evolution, drones should remain in military use because they are efficient, effective, and very convenient for the military.
Controversy has plagued America’s presence in the Middle East and America’s usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) contributes vastly to this controversy. Their usefulness and ability to keep allied troops out of harm’s reach is hardly disputed. However, their presence in countries that are not at war with America, such as Pakistan and Yemen, is something contested. People that see the implications of drone use are paying special attention to the civilian casualty count, world perspective, and the legality of drone operations in non-combative states. The use of drone technology in the countries of Yemen and Pakistan are having negative consequences. In a broad spectrum, unconsented drone strikes are illegal according to the laws of armed conflict, unethical, and are imposing a moral obligation upon those who use them. These issues are all of great importance and need to be addressed. Their legality is also something of great importance and begins with abiding to the Laws of Armed Conflict.
One of the benefits of the Drone is preserving U.S. life. Drones can now replace surveillance missions inside enemy territory without risking the pilots capture and death. Drones are able to slip across borders without risking lives of pilots. They can linger in foreign countries and scout potential threats for a long period of time. They can then decide when to strike the target with minimal civilian casualties. (E-IR) Drones are also able to strike a target with better targeting strategies due to the pilot being removed from the cockpit. (E-IR) Besides the capability for a drone to just hunt down a ...
Military drones do have purposes other than being a weapon; the devices can be used to deliver medical aid and other humanitarian supplies. Military drones can aid in investigation of IHL/LOAC violations, search and rescue operations, reconnaissance and surveillance. Through transparency, over sight and consequences for those who decide to go against established proce-dure, The United States can create via customary law the manner these military drones will be used and still adhere to IHL/LOAC. The question, are military drones legal depends on what their mission is, how they are equipped and whom you ask.
It can be asserted that with current technology and supervision drones lack the stability required to be successful and safe and in actuality are counter-effective because these drones create an unsupervised means of power that could quickly spiral out of control. The drone program fails to decrease the death count of war, increase the intelligence needed to dismantle terrorist cells and be secure against hackers. As a result, drones are counterproductive, and in truth create a newfound terrorism. At the end of the day, the only means to eradicate the enemy is to make them a friend.
The moment I received the prompt to explore just war theory, the first controversial topic containing strong arguments on both sides that interested me was that of drone warfare. As tensions rise between countries and technology improves, the possibility of advanced warfare among nations seems imminent as drones are deployed in replacement of soldiers. The purposes of these unmanned drones in present day are primarily intel collection and target acquisition, which usually leads to extermination of known and presumed threats to the dispatcher. In the United States, when it comes to the topic of using drones within foreign countries, most of the citizens will agree that it is an efficient way to remotely deal with immediate threats to the country.
War can be defined as “an organized and deliberate political act by an established political authority, which must cause 1,000 or more deaths in a twelve-month period, and which requires at least two actors capable of harming each other” (253, Mingst.) This is a broad definition as war can take several different forms, categorized in various ways. Today, the United States is engaged in the War on Terror. In a post-9/11 world, terrorist attacks are even greater sources of fear to citizens, as well as massive threats to national and international security. Over the past few decades, terrorists have been successful in increasing support and achieving political aims. This poses a major security dilemma to victims, such as the United States. It is this sense of insecurity that leads to military action. Any sense of threat is likely to send a nation to arms (251-252, Mingst.) The U.S. government thus must decide as to what the best course of action would be, in protecting the nation. Over the past decade, drone use has increased exponentially for this purpose. These unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are often used in attempts to eliminate terrorism. While it is evident that terrorism poses massive threats to the nation, drone strikes are not conducive to a just war.
The American Northern border with Canada is 4,000 miles stretching from Washington State to Maine with 115 border crossing points that are manned (U.S. Border Patrol 2014). Likewise, the Southern border with Mexico is 2,000 miles stretching from Texas to California with 61 manned border crossing points (U.S. Border Patrol 2014). The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has worked diligently to emplace a wall and vehicle barriers to prevent drug smugglers and illegal immigrants from crossing the southern border while improving the port crossing along the northern border. The borders had a combined flow of 25,755,204 pedestrian’s travelers and 111,595,575 vehicles both passenger and commercial carrying 186,865,756 passengers. The commercial vehicles also carry 13,598,408 containers for 2013. Manning these ports and patrolling the vast 6,000 miles of border are a force of 20,000 Customs and Border agents (Research and Innovative Technology Administration 2014).
The government should permit the use of drones for commercial purpose. They are used for our society in many ways. Commercial drones are very important for our society because, for our life privacy and security and, our public safety. Commercial drones are need in our life for many reasons. They are just not planes in the sky flying around in the sky. They are for our protection in our daily life. You don’t know what will happened, so commercial drones are need in our life.
The use of drones as weapons of war and delivery and surveillance systems should not be dismissed because many people do not realize the real capabilities of drones and how they can be used to better the world through efficient air strikes, faster delivery times, and useful surveillance. Some of the most common misconceptions about drones arise due to the lack of knowledge about what drones are. A drone is a remote controlled, pilotless aircraft that can be used to survey an area, conduct stealth missions, and deliver supplies into difficult to reach areas (Drone). Unmanned aircraft are also, contrary to popular belief, not solely machines that kill without even a thought to who is being fired upon. They have proved to be effective surveillance units in areas that may be dangerous for manned aircraft to fly, along with the potential to be reliable delivery units (Drones).
...only imagine how hazardous this world we live in become. Amongst countries this can become an international competition to make drones to be used as a factor. When other nations see this particular country is using some type of technology to improve their military system then they would want part of it as well. The drone practice can cause to escalate if other countries adopt to this new technology for their own reason of protection. There will be no turning back because the government of that country would take advantage of these drones to use it towards the citizens instead of using for “terrorist”. The use of these drones is definitely immoral and unethical but some may argue that the of drones as protection against “terrorist” even though as we can see it kills innocent people, creates more terrorists, causes psychological disorders, and violates privacy. (Cole)
Every day the world is evolving, different types of technology are being made for different kinds of uses. Some people in the army want to use drones to carry out different types of missions, in other places in the world. Using will help soldiers carry out missions, quicker, easier, and much more efficient. 60% of Americans agree on the usage of drones for army purposes. Many people say that the army should not use drones because drones will increase the number of terrorists, drones can kill and injure innocent civilians, and that drones will “...allow the United States to become emotionally disconnected from the horrors of war” (ℙ8, Drones). There are many advantages with having drones aid military bases, because
Drones are also called unmanned aerial vehicles. They come in various sizes for many uses. Drones are known by different names such as “Killer Drone” or “Spy” or “Surveillance Drone” as they are mostly used to decimate enemy and harm civilians, which is why drones receive negative feedback from the public. Not all people use drones in warfare, they also use them as a hobby to film and entertain. Despite the fact that drones have negative sides, they also have positive sides as well.
Environment Impact of Drones Used for War: Drones are not driven by gasoline like cars, so there is no real impact in terms of emissions that come straight from the use of the drone (Browne, McKinnon, Piecyk, & Whiteing, 2010). The environmental impact from the chemicals that are used in the weapons that are onboard (Drones –Dangerous for Humans and the Environment, 2014).
Living in the digital age where we enjoy the various fruits of latest technological tools and advancements, then at the same time we cannot escape from their hidden or apparent harms. Also, it is a fact that some gadgets supported by these technological advancements are much capable to bring destruction and disaster then construction and convenience. The same goes for the Drone Technology which since past 200 years is being used to create turbulence at the global level. It has proved to be a powerful investigator and bomber at the same time. Drones are specifically associated with military actions and the countries having used them for surveillance purposes include UK, USA, Italy, Japan, Austria, Australia etc. The list of victim counties or nations is much bigger in contrast. Some prominent victims of Drone Air Strikes include Congo, Venice, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. However, it is also an undeniable fact that the massive production and usage of Drones got multiplied in the 21st century.
The United States has been battling terrorists with drones because it is effective, reliable and cheap. Since 2001, the RQ-1 Predator drone has been the primary weapon of choice used for offensive strikes by the CIA and the United States Armed Forces. (Byman, 32) Pilots fly these drones remotely miles away from the danger zones and they release the two hellfire missiles that are attached to the exterior of the vehicle. President Bush greatly expanded his use of drone warfare in Pakistan during the final year of his administration in 2004. The use of drones was followed by President Obama and his administration. His weapon of choice was effective which is why he significantly increased the drone strikes in the Middle East. Drone warfare works