An Analysis of US Drone Warfare: Ethical, Legal, and Strategic Issues

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the United States' use of drones in warfare. It examines the positive aspects, such as their effectiveness in counter-terrorism and their role in precision strikes, while also delving into the negative implications, including civilian casualties, ethical concerns, and legal challenges. The report explores arguments both for and against drone strikes, considering the perspectives of various stakeholders, including the CIA, JSOC, and local populations affected by these operations. It investigates the ethical and moral factors, such as utilitarian and consequentialism ethics, as well as the legal frameworks, including self-defense arguments and international laws. The conclusion highlights the complexities of drone warfare and the need for a nuanced understanding of its impacts. The report also includes references to relevant academic sources.

USE OF DRONES BY
UNITED STATES

INTRODUCTION
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Heated debate all over the world
• Statements against terrorism
• War on Terror

USEFULNESS OF USING THE DRONES
• Very helpful weapons in modern warfare
• Remote controlled device
• Spotting terrorists and taking actions
• Lethal anti-terrorist campaigns

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF USING
DRONES ABROAD
• Unlawful activity
• USA as frontrunner in anti-terrorist activities
• Destruction of terrorist base camps
• Precise action on terrorists

POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF
DRONE STRIKES OUTSIDE USA
• Reports by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
• Terrorism activity plots against USA
• Unethical matters to conduct actions outside
the country
• Operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen
and Somalia

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF DRONE
STRIKES
• Drone strikes have saved numerous lives
• Successfully killing Talibani leader at Pakistan
• Precise technical effects
• Lethal combat actions by drones by hitting
targets without miss

ARGUMENTS AGAINST DRONE
STRIKES OUTSIDE USA
• Signature strike policy
• Operations by Joint Special Operations
Command (JSOC) and Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA).
• Killing civilians at Afghanistan during 2015

ARGUMENTS AGAINST DRONE
STRIKES OUTSIDE USA_CONTD
• Traumatization of local people
• More than 10% civilians being killed
• Local people hearing drone sounds 24*7
• Physical injuries happening very often

ETHICAL AND MORAL FACTORS
• Utilitarian ethics
• Consequentialism ethics
• Unethical to conduct military operations using
drones outside own territories

LEGAL FACTORS
• Self-defense by USA as per Barrack Obama
• No legal authorities to determine the
international laws
• No international courts to make decisions on
the use of drones

CONCLUSION
• Other countries not taking any actions against
terrorist activities
• United Nations not able to perform
responsibilities properly
• Therefore, United States not left with any
other options

REFERENCES
• Boyle, M. J. (2015). The legal and ethical implications of drone warfare.
• Byrne, M. (2016). Consent and the use of force: an examination of ‘intervention by invitation’as a basis for US drone strikes in
Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Journal on the Use of Force and International Law, 3(1), 97-125.
• Ceccoli, S., & Bing, J. (2015). Explaining divergent attitudes toward lethal drone strikes. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 38(2), 146-166.
• Crawford, J. T., Wiley, S., & Ventresco, N. (2014). Examining Americans’ attitudes toward drone strikes on the eve of the 2012
presidential election. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 14(1), 46-60.
• Jaeger, D. A., & Siddique, Z. (2018). Are drone strikes effective in Afghanistan and Pakistan? On the dynamics of violence between the
United States and the Taliban. CESifo Economic Studies, 64(4), 667-697.
• Jordan, J. (2014). The effectiveness of the drone campaign against al Qaeda central: a case study. Journal of Strategic Studies, 37(1),
4-29.
• Ottosen, R. (2014). Underreporting the legal aspects of drone strikes in international conflicts: A case study of how Aftenposten and
New York Times cover drone strike.
• Shah, S. A. (2014). International law and drone strikes in Pakistan: the legal and socio-political aspects. Routledge.
• Tibori-Szabó, K. (2015). Self-Defence and the united states policy on drone strikes. Journal of Conflict and Security Law, 20(3), 381-
413.
• Walters, W. (2014). Parrhēsia today: Drone strikes, fearless speech and the contentious politics of security. Global Society, 28(3), 277-
299.
• Woods, C. (2014). Covert drone strikes and the fiction of zero civilian casualties. In Precision Strike Warfare and International
Intervention (pp. 121-139). Routledge.
• Yousaf, F. (2017). CIA drone strikes in Pakistan: History, perception and future. CRSS (2017).
•
•