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,
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.
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
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
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.
Though drones may appear small and simple, their abilities are vast, and their potential as warfare progresses is
Those in favor of drones argue that drones have many advantages compared with other military weapons in denying terrorists. First, drones are able to most accurately hit their intended targets, thus they help prevent unintended deaths of noncombatants . Drones allow the operator to study his or her targets carefully instead of reacting in the heat of the moment, making strikes more discriminating. The Long War Journal tracked the performance of U.S drones in Pakistan, and the report showed that civilian casualties resulted from drones only counted as 6% of overall fatalities. This number shows that drones kill a lower ratio of civilians to combatants than we have seen in any wars in which other weapons were used. Second, drones reduce risk of their own operators and prevent the...
It’s far cheaper and safer to send a drone with a camera into a remote or dangerous place than to send a human. Oil and gas companies are using drones to monitor pipelines, oil rigs, and gas flares. Utility companies can use them to check electrical wires and towers. Real estate agents can showcase properties in ways that were never before possible. Engineers are beginning to use them to inspect bridges and buildings for damage and to survey land. Drones may also take the place of certain employment spots, causing the competition and requirements for a new or old job to be
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
The United States’ battle against terrorism forces this nation to exert violence upon its enemies. However, peace in foreign countries will not be achieved if America risks the lives of innocent civilians to assassinate its criminals overseas. Therefore, America must eliminate the use of drones in international strikes.
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.
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