Drone Strikes Drone Strikes are used by the United States in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to aid the war on terror. The proper usage of attack drones by the U.S. has been fiercely debated since President Obama has greatly increased the use of attack drones. Those who are against it argue that the strikes are not ethical and harm too many civilians for the number of possible threats the strikes eliminate. However, because these strikes are very beneficial to the war on terror and save numerous lives by combating threats and protecting American soldiers, our military should continue drone use abroad. First and foremost, drones are an exceptional alternative to conventional methods of military action in the Middle East. …show more content…
The drone debate section of ProCon.org provides information that states that the U.S. military allocated $5 billion to drones in the 2012 budget, this makes up a meer 1% of the total budget. In comparison, the F-35 strike program, only one of the manned strike vehicle programs, cost the U.S. over $9 billion (“Should the United States”). These statistics could be due simply to the military choosing to invest more time and money into the manned strike programs, or more likely due to the cost of each drone and operation of that drone being significantly less than that of a manned aircraft. The cost to operate one manned aircraft on a mission for an hour can exceed $160,000 while the per-hour cost of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will most likely not exceed $5,000. These estimates would lead to drones subsequently being .03% of the cost of traditional options and these conventional options being roughly 33 times more expensive than the UAVs (“Should the United States”). Drones also provide an option for the military to eliminate threats without being as invasive of the foreign country as other options …show more content…
Drone strikes target and eliminate threats that could harm not only U.S. citizens, but also other countries and civilians that live in the states where drone are utilized. More than 3,500 militants that could have been a threat and possibly already a threat to the United States have been eliminated by unmanned aircraft (“Should the United States”). In a statement covered by CBS news, President Obama stated that “dozens of highly-skilled al-Qaeda commanders and operatives have been taken off the battlefield. Plots have been disrupted that would have targeted international aviation, U.S. transit systems, and our troops in Afghanistan” ( President Obama Defends). President Obama’s drone strikes have undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives abroad and in the States. Not only has the U.S. defeated large and small groups of militants with drones, but specific, high-profile targets as well. One such recent target was Mohammed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John; Emwazi was the face of ISIS who appeared in numerous videos dressed in all black, holding a knife, and in some cases, beheading hostages who were in the country for very peaceful reasons. The killing of Emwazi, carried out by three drones in November 2015, was not as much of a tactical move as some other drone strikes have been, but more of a blow to the prestige and confidence of ISIS in the Middle East (Starr, Botelho, and Payne). In 2013,
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.
In this paper, I will examine how drone strikes are instituted in America’s foreign policy and their effectiveness against terrorist organizations. Although drone warfare might seem effective and thus desirable for many people, the civilian casualties that it causes increase anti-American sentiment in the region. This sentiment creates a backlash that in fact helps terrorist groups regain their leader, recruit new members, and facilitate revenge, making drones a counterproductive foreign policy
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.
Anthony Cacia Opperman/Mosely CP English II 12 April 2024 Exploring Father-Son Relationship throughout Night and Mississippi Trial, 1955 “It’s a big time in my life, learning about myself and being a better person. I’m a work in progress; I have revelations every day.” -Rick Rubin. Themes can give the reader an idea or prediction ahead of reading a story, also they are key things since it can create ideas, and thoughts about the story and we can see some themes are happy, sad, aggressive, inspiring, eventful, etc.
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.
Who here would like to go to war? Who wants a cheap and effective, strategic war? If you want that, then drones are the weapons to use. They’re cheap and effective, reduce unnecessary deaths, and are much more accurate than any other weapon. These are only a few reasons for why drones are the ultimate weapon of choice.
In contrast to this, drones strikes violate the authority of the counties they attack, most attacks are carried out without the authorization of the country .Pakistani Prime Sharif said that the "use of drones is not only a continued violation of our territorial integrity but also detrimental to our resolve at efforts in eliminating terrorism from our country... I would therefore stress the need for an end to drone attacks."( Anderson ). How are terrorist groups sopost to respect us when the example set is that invading other countries is complete okay. Not to mention that the fury by them and the rest of the country could lead someday to a devastating war or a massive attack. Adding to this United Nations ' Human Rights Chief has called US drone strikes a “violation of sovereignty” and have forced for investigations into the legality of the attacks. More of a reason for them to be remove from our
Though drones may appear small and simple, their abilities are vast, and their potential as warfare progresses is
One of the latest and most controversial topics that has risen over the past five to ten years is whether or not drones should be used as a means of war, surveillance, and delivery systems. Common misconceptions usually lead to people’s opposition to the use of drones; which is the reason it is important for people to know the facts about how and why they are used. Wartime capabilities will provide for less casualties and more effective strikes. New delivery and surveillance systems in Africa, the United Air Emirates and the United States will cut costs and increase efficiency across the board. Rules and regulations on drones may be difficult to enforce, but will not be impossible to achieve. 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.
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
U.S. law enforcement and the military is greatly expanding its use of domestic drones for surveillance. Routine aerial surveillance would profoundly change the character of public life in America. A lot of states are considering (and some have passed) legislation regulating the use of drones. Some law enforcement’s and military rescue drones have the capability of “looking down” with high resolution video cameras to survey and search an area below. The use of drones in America is more than likely going to increase later on. The U.S. military uses an attack called a ‘‘drone strike’’ which wipes out hundreds dangerous terrorists in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Drones are protecting us, stopping criminals, and saving people's lives all around the U.S.
First, drone strikes make the United States safer by eliminating terrorists at a lower cost than engaging in ground or manned aerial combat. According to former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, drones have radically
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
Drone warfare is here to stay and is technology continues to evolve, drones will take the place of deliveries from the United States Postal Services and FedEx deliveries; they will be used as security guards, radio stations, first aid kits, and more. Drones will continue to be used to fight terrorism overseas, furthermore, saving the lives of innocent civilians, and our service men and woman. I believe drones are our future and will continue to see drones of many sizes used for other purposes, such as to deliver medicine or an organ quickly to hospital. The possibilities for drones are endless. They can do almost anything that you could need from one, and with the technologies changing and becoming more advanced every day. I think that these changes might happen sooner rather than later. So if it's not superman or a bird in the sky; it's probably a