Premium Essay

Drone Strikes

Submitted By
Words 840
Pages 4
Arafat Hassan
Professor Kathryn McFarland
Philosophy 1332
Apr 13, 2016
Are drones strikes really necessary? Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remotely-controlled aircraft which may be armed with missiles and bombs for attacks. There are two types of drones. One human-navigated (Remotely piloted aircraft) such as predators and reaper and the other is self-navigating (autonomous aircraft). The United States of America mostly use human-navigated drones to carry its attacks. The most interesting thing about this type is that the operators are sitting in a room miles and miles away from the battlefield controlling the drones like they are playing a video game. The operators are usually gathering intel for hours and only allowed to …show more content…
From watching a documentary, I saw that it kills more civilians including innocent children than the terrorist. After the 9/11 attack, U.S. drone strikes have killed between 2,497-3,999 civilians in Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Somalia (The Economist Newspaper). In the documentary, a drone attack conducted by the U.S. had killed a young boy’s family. Later, that young boy was recruited by the Taliban and will join them as he grows older. In addition, these attacks traumatize the locals. These attacks leave a psychological affect on the local population. They are usually afraid or worried of another random attack. This can definitely interfere with their daily routine such as going to work, going to school, etc. Drone strikes actually violate the international humanitarian laws. According to the international humanitarian law, you can not kill who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities. In addition, drone strikes interfere with the sovereignty of other nations. Drone strikes are a force used on a nation without their consent which violates their sovereignty. One great example of this is Pakistan. Drone strikes target low value targets. Therefore, the U.S. sent a SEAL team to kill Osama Bin Laden since they needed a clear

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Drone Strikes

...Drone Strikes, Effective Weapon in the War on Terrorism? William DeJarnette United States Diplomatic History November 21, 2014 September 7, 2009, in Machi Khel in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, Pakistan. At 20,000 feet death silently, stealthily, knifed its way through the afternoon sky. Two drones, operated by American Air Force drone pilots 7,000 miles away in Nevada, USA, had been hovering over the area throughout the day. Modern warfare and the fight against terrorism were about to greet Sadaullah Wazir and his family as they reentered their home after evening prayers in the garden. Moments later an explosive concussion from missiles launched by the drones rocked the neighborhood and body parts flew in every direction. Senior al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in his car as it entered the village. However, injured in the attack at the same time were fifteen-year-old Sadaullah and several others. Three of Wazir’s family members were killed. Wazir awoke in a hospital the next day, minus both legs and an eye. Objective met, target Kashmiri eliminated. Collateral damage is just another acceptable part of the plan. The Living Under Drones project interviewed Khalid Raheem, an elder in his community in Pakistan. Raheem is bewildered by the current state of affairs in his country. He states that they knew nothing about where the US was or what type of people lived there. They did know that the US supported the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets, until the Soviets...

Words: 2790 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Drone Strikes

...Drone strikes under International Humanitarian Law Feb 2, 2014 Aaron Mirza If there is an armed conflict, the legality of any drone strike must then be evaluated in accordance with IHL, including particularly the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, humanity, and military necessity. Distinction is particularly challenging in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, because fighters regularly intermingle with civilians, engage in routine activities and do not wear uniforms. None­theless, militaries engaged in an armed conflict must always attempt to distinguish between legit­mate and illegitimate targets for an attack. Generally, “the civilian population as such, as well as individuals civilians, shall not be the object of attack.” Civilians lose this protection when they “take a direct part in hostilities.” Under the formulation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of what constitutes direct participation in hostilities, the act committed must adversely and directly affect the opposing party in a concrete manner or lead to the loss of life or property as part of a campaign in support of one party to a conflict. This definition adopts an approach focused on specific hostile acts of a certain magnitude rather than organizational membership or more indirect forms of support. The ICRC has further distinguished between civilians who participated in specific acts and those who maintain a continuous combatant function (CCF) by virtue of involvement...

Words: 785 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Drone Strikes Again

...The Drone Strikes Again Take a moment and imagine this: for every terrorist killed by a U.S. drone strike, 50 Pakistani civilians fall victims to these ruthless attacks. According to an article written by David Kilcullen and Andrew McDonald from the NY Times, “press reports suggest that over the last three years drone strikes have killed about 14 terrorist leaders. But, according to Pakistani sources, they have also killed some 700 civilians. This is 50 civilians for every militant killed, a hit rate of 2 percent — hardly “precision”” (Killcullen, McDonald 9). Regardless if the number of casualties of innocent people caused by drone strikes has increased or decreased, the policy itself should be eliminated if there is even the slightest chance that innocent lives will be at stake. Kant was not a consequentialist theorist; in other words, he believed that despite the outcome of an action being good or bad, what was important was the premeditated idea behind the action, was it right or wrong, unrelated to the consequences. Therefore, if actions are not based on consequences, Kant’s theory would support the argument that using drone tactics to eliminate terrorists is morally unacceptable, for the following reasons: the U.S. military is using drone tactics against terrorist without their consent, and innocent lives are being taken at the push of a button. As humans, our moral duty is to treat people in such a way that shows them respect, as though they are autonomous beings with...

Words: 967 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Pros And Cons Of Drone Strikes

...inappropriate. Drone strikes are just one of the many controversial things to come out of the scientific advancements of the past few years. Over the course of these years, drones have risen to be a very controversial weapons, being that they are almost invincible, which is due to being almost untraceable on sonar. Drones have killed many innocents (reaching 90%), and have angered many other nations,however U.S. drone strikes should still be used broadly since they reduce the death toll of our own people, and are far more effective against terrorist programs than sending down our own troops. Can you imagine sending people to their doom? That is the only other solution to counter terrorism (with minimal collateral damage). Would you rather kill your own soldiers, rather than just sending a drone? WOULD YOU? Although this seems harsh, in the end would you really sacrifice your own citizens? “[I]n many cases in which the United States needs to capture or eliminate an enemy, raid are too risky and costly,” this quote, from Daniel L. Byman’s website “Why Drones Work”, states how dangerous and expensive raids are compared to just sending in a drone. Why endanger the lives our own people, instead of just...

Words: 580 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Why Support Drone Strikes

...Another reason to support drone strikes is their cost. Compared to financing a Special Forces mission like Neptune Spear, drone strikes are cheap. While specific costs of Special Forces missions and drone strikes are not available, it is possible to estimate their costs and compare it to a special forces mission. The basic pay for an average member of the US Special Forces, or US Air Force is around $43,000. According to the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the average cost per hour of flying a Predator drone is $3500 plus the salary of a pilot. Therefore, the cost of a drone missions can be estimated around $200,000. It is estimated that Neptune Spear involved around 20 Special Forces mission, and add to it this the cost of complex logistics involved in planning and executing Special Force’s mission. It is clear that the cost of a Special Force’s mission exceed the cost of a drone strike....

Words: 663 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

General

...CIVIL AND SOCIAL USES OF DRONES Name Course Title Instructor’s name Date Introduction A drone is a remote proscribed pilotless airplane as well as a projectile. A broader definition of this is an unmanned plane as well as a ship that can steer itself separately, without individual control or past the line of prospect. Consequently, this paper will attempt to explain on the civil along with the social uses of drones. There are growing numbers of in-flight drone platforms, comprising of the very energetic do it yourself society. The machines are getting to be more vigorous, with the potential to sustain heavier payloads for extensive flight periods. As with the increasing interest as well as the potential for these tools to tackle novel areas of requests, it is important to address on the civil uses of drones. Thus, among this uses they do comprise of the agricultural sector. Basing on various researches conducted by the “Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International” the news suggested that. The agricultural use of drones could involve 70% of the market. The explanation pointed out for this comprised of the desire to monitor crops strictly so as to enhance...

Words: 1000 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Drones Applications Into Logistics

...Drones applications into logistics – feasibility study Abstract The utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in business applications can possibly drastically adjust a few commercial practices, and, all the while, change our dispositions and practices with respect to their effect on our day by day lives. The rise of UAVs into commercial applications will have to find a middle ground with the conventional ideas of wellbeing, security, protection, possession, obligation, and direction. With their capacity to gather information and improve logistics, drones are re-forming the way we ponder our physical surroundings. Notwithstanding, they likewise have been associated with being a reconnaissance gear, and their business use has been denounced by both people and dissident associations. In parallel, they have been legitimized by controls and licenses from government offices, and are utilized by organizations for reviewing, assessing, and imaging, and their mechanical advancement are driven by dynamic groups of specialists and fans of drone technology. This pressure presents extraordinary difficulties to their incorporation in the as of now existing open, legislative and private foundation. In this report, a couple of these issues to see how automatons could affect the advanced logistics, and provide suggestions for professionals, approach creators, and researchers concentrating on this technological marvel. Introduction The coming of new and developing advances...

Words: 2738 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Informative Speech

...Attention-getter (quotation, story, rhetorical question, surprising statements, humor, etc.): The DJI Phantom 3 is one of the best drones on the market. * Reveal the topic: The DJI Phantom 3 records in 4k HD resolution * Motivate the audience (make the topic relevant and/or establish credibility): This drone can record anything, anywhere, with just a simple IOS app download. * Preview (each main point): First . . . The features that the DJI Phantom provides Next . . . Distance and duration the drone can last Finally . . . Intelligent flight modes (Transition) Body I. Main point 1 A. Sub-point and/or supporting material (such as a statistic or a quotation etc.) - The drone is operated by an App that can be downloaded on an IOS and/or Android device, which allows you to live stream and have full control over the camera. B. Sub-point and/or supporting material - The camera itself in mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, which provides best imagine quality when flying with much movements and prevailing wind conditions. (Transition) II. Main point 2 A. Sub-point and/or supporting material - The drones comes with a 4k ultra HD camera, and gets to record anything within 1 kilometer of range B. Sub-point and/or supporting...

Words: 400 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Legal Issues Surrounding Defense Drones

...Introduction The term “drone” covers a wide variety of unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones range in size from one pound to 30,000 pounds. Various components can be added to a drone to increase its capability. Drones can be heat-seeking or capable of detecting certain chemicals, for example. Because of the variety of functions of drones, there is a great deal of interest in both public and private sectors in expanding drone usage. As drone use evolves in the United States, there are many legal ramifications to consider. This paper discusses current drone use, the future of drones, and the legal issues involved. Government Drone Use Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have shifted the defense landscape not only in the US but also across various other nations. It is an additional layer of defense strategy that deviates from the traditional methods employed thus far. Although they may be used in strategically planned strikes, their primary purpose is in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). The US amongst other countries has been spearheading the advancement and use of this growing technology for the last decade. The Department of Defense operates approximately 8000 of these vehicles in their fleet. The use of drones by the US department of Defense is only one arm of the several other that is operated by the government. Customs and Border Protection Agency, Homeland Security, State fire departments and police departments are other significant users of this...

Words: 3474 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Drones Research Paper

...exposition questions what are drones( personal military and first drones)and how do they work? how are drones being used by people?personal use?by business use or organizations?are there rules people have to follow? where is drone technology going and what will the future be like? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_unmanned_aerial_vehicles#Early_development A drone is a type of unmanned flying aircraft, that has a minimum of four propellers.the first drone was in 18 The first usage of a drone was recorded in 1849, August 22nd. When the Austrians attacked Venice (Italy). They released balloons containing explosives from the Austrian ship Vulcano. Drones work through radiowaves via remote controlled devises. They are battery powered. The newer drones have tracking devices fitted...

Words: 404 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Argumentaive Drones

...Is the Use of Drone Military Tactics or not? In 2002 of February 4th history was made that allowed CIA and military to use such extraordinary equipment that made it safer for pilots and national security defense to use to spy on our enemies around the world without being noticed or even harming a human life at stake. But what can we really say that these drones let alone can be worth so much money of the tax payers that we don’t see the results that they are really made for.The drone was made and it was made for just that purpose in that world to help aid in the fight in counter-terrorism let alone not let any more of our military pilots put their lives at risk in dangerous zones. But due to recent events that lead to a sort of downfall in using these pilot less drones, is it actually worth the billions we spend on it to be used in the military or is it even worth having though due to some malfunctions of the drone killed innocent civilians not only from other lands, but our own American civilians as well. Does America really needs these drones that can help with the war on terror and costing us so much money let alone deaths, or do we need something different or not even the drones at all. Back in 2008 while I was serving in Afghanistan and right now I am gearing up for another tour right after the final week of school has ended, I remember hearing about the drones and what the purpose was for. At the time I could never really see one up close and let alone be in the same...

Words: 2713 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Future Sight Project

...Smartdrones Drones are generally autonomous, generally flying robots that carry out various tasks, whatever is designated by their owner or their programmer. We have seen a rise in drones operating in many fields of both service and industry, and I believe in twenty years these drones will be just about everywhere. There have been several attempts to bring the social network, and really the online experience as a whole, into a new platform. Whereas now, just about everybody has a phone, in two decades I think just about everyone will have a personal drone. It will likely have a sort of holographic projection that will connect to everybody, or only those who you choose. It will carry your information if you wish, possibly your finances, and there will be thousands of ways to customize its appearance. It might be asked, couldn’t somebody snatch your drone and steal everything? My answer to that is in twenty years’ time, we will see a major increase in cyber and personal security alongside development of these drones. The assimilation of personal drones into our lives will have a massive impact in our lives. The greatest change will be a social change. We have already seen how smartphones, while incredibly useful for myriad reasons, created barriers between people. While improving our ability to communicate with our friends and to the entire world, the apps and flash player games gave everybody an excuse to ignore everyone and everything around us. Why talk to a stranger on...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Drones Regulations

...UK however, is not the only country that has relaxed rules and regulations on the use of drones. Mexico has virtually no UAV regulations to date, the Mexican governments attitude is encouraging to the use of UAV’s even to the point of using drones themselves in everything from university work to drug activity and more. New Zealand and Australia share virtually identical policies on UAV’s that are completely hands off and can be flown freely. There is only one difference between New Zealand and Australia’s regulations, and that is Australia requires anyone flying it for commercial purposes to acquire an easily obtainable identification certificate. On the other side of the spectrum there are also countries that are less then flexible in...

Words: 908 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drones Are Going Mainstream

...4, 2012 Ms. Zbitkovskis Drones are Going Mainstream Drones are unmanned computerized aircraft issued to the military and only the military. They come in all shapes and sizes, but no matter how small they are the danger of what they are capable of is still there. The military have used these drones for bombing and spying. Civilians are trying to push rights to own drones for reasons such as keeping an eye on crops. Many believe that the constitution would be taking a back seat to let boys play with their toys if this were allowed. Too many things would happen if these machines were put in civilian hands. Violation of privacy, danger of bombing, and interference with commercial air traffic are main issues when thinking of letting civilians have this kind of technology. Drones, also known as UAV’s, have many different purposes. There are so many different types of drones in the marketing world. The most common ones have been used for military purposes. The US military has two types of drones. UAV’s, unmanned aerial vehicles, are used for high tech surveillance. UACV’s, unmanned aerial combat vehicles, are used for destroying targeted objects in war (Pugliese). There are many drones that can be mistaken for remote controlled helicopters as well. These are now issued to some police forces around the US in order to keep a closer eye on cities. Civilians are starting to demand the use of drones in many different areas. Farmers are asking for drones to watch their crops better...

Words: 1024 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Drone

...Proposal for using Drone Technology For Commercial Use Rajat Shahi Introduction Since 2000, U.S. military has been using drones for surveillance and weaponry purposes [1]. As the year progresses, the drone technology have been striving for perfection and used more often since 2000. The reason for such a rise is drone reduces the number of causality of soldiers [1]. With such an advantage, people are slowly giving thumbs up to such great invention of technology. Such breakthrough is attracting businessmen hoping to maximize profit. Recently online shop Amazon has announced on television about using drone to deliver package ordered within thirty minutes [2]. Although this project make take about four to five years to launch, human safety and regulations set by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been invoked till further development [2]. Amazon is not the only company using drone in fact Amazon gave inspiration to other companies to start investing in drones. With drones creating buzz in business world currently, next stop of its technologies being input is in aircraft. Purpose The purpose of this research proposal is to investigate whether drone technology can be compatible with airplane technology and whether it is safe or accept by society. It also discusses the work being done so far to make it reality and also compares whether pilots or technology is much safer. Not only that, it also talks about the restrictions faced by government authority [3]. Methodology ...

Words: 426 - Pages: 2