Drones enhance the nation's military arsenal, limiting threats to pilots and providing the ability to operate for a long time above targets. They also represent a growing menace to people everywhere, as the ability to deliver deadly missiles at a long range is democratizing the number and models of drones available on the market. Drone Warfare explores the history of drones and how they are currently used.
The United States pioneered the use of drones, and employs them to conduct surveillance on the border and in cities, to conduct attacks against military targets and those deemed to be terrorists, and to monitor environmental conditions during forest fires and flooding. Their legal use is ill-defined. Can a drone be used to target and kill an American citizen without due process? President Obama certainly thought so, when he ordered the death of a Yemeni American accused of terrorism. Would Americans approve of China using a drone to attack a person it considered a terrorist in New York City? Legal and moral discussions need to take place to guide further deployment and utilization of these deadly tools.
No comments:
Post a Comment