The Pros And Cons Of Drone Warfare

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The United States has developed an extensive drone infrastructure focused primarily on counterterrorism, opening a new era of armed conflict. The use of armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, in military operations has been under global scrutiny ever since the United States sanctioned CIA operations to utilize armed UAVs for targeted killings. The idea of drone warfare was first put in action in late 2001, early 2002, after the 9/11 attacks. Since that time, the United States has been carrying out CIA-directed drone strikes as a form of counterterrorism. However, under the Obama Administration drone warfare has become the centerpiece of the U.S. counterterrorism strategy, operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen. …show more content…

The opposition claim that “drone strikes breed more terrorist than they eliminate” (Kaag 45). It is hard to distinguish whether tactical success is translatable to strategic effectiveness, it doesn't hinder a group’s ability to replace dead leaders wth new ones; it also hasn't hindered propaganda or recruitment.
A related pain is that if the growing public opposition in places such as Yemen and Pakistan is any indication, the strikes have contributed to “visceral opposition.” The target of this opposition are the strikes themselves, triggering backlash among the populace; […] making it easier to recruit new terrorist for the one that was killed. Kaag 47 The counter argument to this notion is not as compelling as the argument that supports this claim. According to the American Security Project, anti-american sentiment in drone-struck countries have risen, however it is apparently difficult to single out drone strikes as a unique or even a primary cause of the anti-american sentiment. In Pakistan, people protest certain U.S. Policies, but only particular drone strikes; rather than the entirety of them. “[…] in general urban Pakistanis have a hatred of UAVs,while Pakistanis in tribal regions seem to give limited support to them, contending they prefer drone strikes”( Kaag 46), in comparison to the alternative such as military campaigns or full scale

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