Drones: Up in Arms

Instinctively, most would label republicans as “hawks” when it comes to national security, aggressively approaching foreign policy with military force, whereas democrats are usually considered “doves,” who advocate for more peaceful means to resolve disputes.  Yet Mr. Obama has shattered this stereotype, composing a “kill list” of terrorists to be taken out by drone strikes.  This is indeed an interesting paradox, given that Obama promised to shut down Guantanamo bay, but allows drone strikes without a problem.

Unarmed aerial vehicles, also called UAV’s or drones, have become quite popular in the US military since President Obama took office.  The appeal? A drastic decrease in risk for American soldiers.  Drones resemble a remote controlled airplane, equipped with weapons.  Though this is an aircraft, the pilots sit safely inside an operating room, hundreds and thousands of miles away from his target. Though at first glance, one would assume drones are the way to go, it is important to think deeply about the moral implications of using such a weapon. 

For one, drones, though said to be extremely accurate, have killed many civilians when attempting to take out a target.  In one case, in 2011, a drone strike was said to have taken out around 42 innocent Pakistani civilians, many of them important elders of the community (Living Under Drones, 2012).

And what about sovereignty? Of all people, President Obama should recognize the legal implications of using drones, constantly impeding on the sovereignty of other countries, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan.  When it comes to drones, respecting sovereignty has become a mere trip line to step over.  New York Times writes: “justly or not, drones have become a proactive symbol of American power, running roughshod over national sovereignty and killing innocents.” 

Another fear is a drone-led retaliation on the United States.  Given the simplicity of the technology, an adversary who gains the ability to create drones themselves may be able to easily use it against America, endangering citizens across the country.  Drones could also serve as a perfect tool for terrorist attacks.  Given the fact that terrorists largely have to bypass the military in order to make attacks on their target, a drone could serve as a perfect weapon, enabling terrorists to make strikes without nearly any costs involved.   

Drone strikes, without a doubt, need to be perfected.  With the morality and legality of drones in question, the US must be very careful about how to use such weapons.  Killing civilians during drone strikes, though usually effective in taking out the target, is a major cause for concern.  Not only is this morally troubling, but the international community frowns upon this type of action, causing contention between the United States and other major international actors.  Although I approve of the use of drones, the Obama administration must be careful about the way in which drone strikes are used.