The United States has been battling terrorists with drones because it is effective, reliable and cheap. Since 2001, the RQ-1 Predator drone has been the primary weapon of choice used for offensive strikes by the CIA and the United States Armed Forces. (Byman, 32) Pilots fly these drones remotely miles away from the danger zones and they release the two hellfire missiles that are attached to the exterior of the vehicle. President Bush greatly expanded his use of drone warfare in Pakistan during the final year of his administration in 2004. The use of drones was followed by President Obama and his administration. His weapon of choice was effective which is why he significantly increased the drone strikes in the Middle East. Drone warfare works …show more content…
When the local government cannot control their own domestic troubles, American guidance and help is welcomed. The Vice President of the Council of Foreign Relations Dr. James M. Lindsay asserts, “other countries both wanted and needed US leadership. This conviction reflected America’s more than half a century of success as the global superpower.” (Lindsay, 29) In remote areas, the governments have even less control over the territory and arresting the terrorists would be less likely to be successful. Furthermore, it would not be effective because Al-Qaeda and the Taliban span over many countries and branches of their group operate in different locations. Instead of using drones, if the U.S send in troops to hunt down militants, then many possible obstacles block their success. Sympathetic civilians or officials can alert the terrorists of the arrival of special forces which will separate the militants and likely would also cause American casualties from fighting. The lives of innocent civilians will not be spared if the fighting takes place in a surrounding village that contains an amount of
The post 9/11 era in The United States defense policies have been one of proactive as compared to reactive. The United States has been looking at methods to gather intelligence on our enemy while ensuring the safety of our troops. The drone has been the answer to the search because the drone is capable of ensuring the U.S. life, forced projection of power over our enemies, and Strategic stealth tactical striking.
The author detailed the many of the difficulties faced by the special operations forces in Afghanistan. They made significant gains with the Village Stability Operations and a major concern for them was losing ground. However, certain factors threatened those gains. In particular, the wars unpopularity at home and President Obama 2014 timetable to withdraw were major hurdles. The author explained that this complicated the efforts of the special operations forces because; a counterinsurgency strategy takes time to cultivate. Many military leaders fear that their efforts will not hold up in their absence. They believe the assistance of the United States is crucial to continued success in the war. The biggest obstacle to this effort was the relationship between American and Afghani Leadership. President Karzai insisted Afghan Special Forces accompany U.S. Special Forces on night raids. Military leaders were hesitant at first nevertheless, president Karzai insisted. In addition, he wanted Afghan approval for every mission launched. The author concludes that the real intention for accompanying the U....
September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden decided to “wake the sleeping giant.” The US immediately sent SOF units and CIA officers to recon the area and meet with the Northern Alliance. The primary battle leading up to this operation was Tora Bora, which was absent of conventional forces. Up until this point, the war on terror was predominantly a Special Operations fight along with Air Force for overhead support.3 SOF and the Northern Alliance had already displaced Taliban forces out of many towns and villages in northern Afghanistan to gain control of key terrain. Key towns in northern Afghanistan including Taloqan, Konduz, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif took only three weeks to clear.4 The SOF units were making huge impacts across the country calling in air strikes. At the same time the SOF units were diligently...
Controversy has plagued America’s presence in the Middle East and America’s usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) contributes vastly to this controversy. Their usefulness and ability to keep allied troops out of harm’s reach is hardly disputed. However, their presence in countries that are not at war with America, such as Pakistan and Yemen, is something contested. People that see the implications of drone use are paying special attention to the civilian casualty count, world perspective, and the legality of drone operations in non-combative states. The use of drone technology in the countries of Yemen and Pakistan are having negative consequences. In a broad spectrum, unconsented drone strikes are illegal according to the laws of armed conflict, unethical, and are imposing a moral obligation upon those who use them. These issues are all of great importance and need to be addressed. Their legality is also something of great importance and begins with abiding to the Laws of Armed Conflict.
Byman’s first argument is that US drone strikes are extremely efficient in their purpose: eliminating high value targets in foreign countries that pose a threat to national security. He cities a study done by the New America Foundation, which found that “U.S. drones have killed an estimated 3,300 al Qaeda, Taliban, and other jihadist operatives in Pakistan and Yemen” (Byman 1). Of these 3,300 militants, over 50 were senior leaders of either Al Qaeda or the Taliban. Additionally, drone strikes indirectly hinder communication between terrorist leaders and their operatives. In an effort to avoid detection, many foreign militants have stopped using cell phones and other electronic forms of communication. Although the elimination of technology makes it harder to find high value targets, it also significantly impacts their ability to communicate, which reduces the amount of organized attacks. Without considering the cost of civilian casualties or other negative impacts associated with the drone strikes, it is clear that UAV drones have been effective in eliminating foreign threats.
In the article ‘’Confessions of a Drone Warrior’’, published in the GQ in October 22, 2013, by Matthew Power, the author talks about a drone pilot’s experience after working with military drones for 6 years. In this article, the main point the author is trying to prove is that flying military drones is not some kind of video game, it’s as real as it gets, even though the pilot doesn’t actually take part in combat. It can change people. During his service, the Airman First Class Brandon Bryant killed 1626 people. It’s terrifying, considering that the pilot had to watch every person die. His job was to monitor people(normally high-value targets in Afghanistan) from the sky and when he got the command to kill from the authorities, he fired a missile
On Sep 11, 2001, al Qaeda threatened the United States (U.S.) national security, and we are still combating terrorism. Since that time, al Qaeda and other extremist groups have also been endangering some of the U.S. allies. Realizing the magnitude of this international fight, the U.S. needs help from its partners to counter violence worldwide.
It was a normal day in Mexico city for most people but not for Top Flight. He is the best pilot around. His father , Jeffery Bob Flight died just one month before he got the phone call that may have changed his life forever. It was the president of the U.S.A. , Franklin Roosevelt. “Hello, Mr. Flight.” Said the president.
department store to pick up a single item, you can receive just within 30 minutes of ordering it. It
a comprehensive research service. Retrieved May 2, 2004, from Terrorist Attack by Al Qaeda: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/033104.pdf. Gunaratna, R. (2005, September). Retrieved September 2005, from http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/articles/05spring/henzel.pdf. Gunaratna, R. (n.d.).
Another name for drones are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS). These are “aircraft either controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground or increasingly, autonomously following a pre-programmed mission” (Cole 4). Even though there are many unique types of drones, but they usually fall under two main categories: ones that are armed and equipped with missiles and bombs and others that are used for surveillance. In the past couple of years the use of drones has increased dramatically. The reason being because “unlike manned aircraft they can stay aloft for many hours and are flown remotely so there is no danger to the flight crew” (Cole 13). There are drones that can actually fly over more than fifty hours. In countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the Predator and U.S Reaper are physically there. Cause of the power of technology th...
“The scary thing about the future, there will be tiny cameras everywhere, and they'll be flying around like mosquitoes. Drones are scary” (qtd in Mikkelson), American cartoonist and wordsmith Matt Groening talks about his fears of living in a world of mosquito sized drones, recording everything. Drones are unmanned aircrafts, often remote-controlled, capable of flying around with camera. The supporters of drones claim that drones have immense potential to make human lives better so their use should be encouraged whereas the opposers argue that drones violate privacy so their use must be minimized. Directed by James Ponsoldt, The Circle is a Sci Fi thriller rotating around the life of Mae Holland, who gets an opportunity to work for the world’s
domestic presence. This includes groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, which attempt to recruit and influence immigrant populations living in the United States. This essay highlights a strategy to defeat and reduce the effectiveness of transnational terrorist groups operating domestically by addressing three primary areas of interest. These areas of interest include: 1. How the DOD and USNORTHCOM can leverage liaisons, joint exercises, and strategic partnerships to effectively collaborate with partner agencies to avoid inefficiencies while achieving unity of purpose and unity of command, 2. How the DOD and USNORTHCOM should organize and operate to defeat or deter transnational terrorist groups and 3. How the DOD can adhere to the Posse Comitatus Act while still making value-added contributions with the capabilities of the U.S. military
Living in the digital age where we enjoy the various fruits of latest technological tools and advancements, then at the same time we cannot escape from their hidden or apparent harms. Also, it is a fact that some gadgets supported by these technological advancements are much capable to bring destruction and disaster then construction and convenience. The same goes for the Drone Technology which since past 200 years is being used to create turbulence at the global level. It has proved to be a powerful investigator and bomber at the same time. Drones are specifically associated with military actions and the countries having used them for surveillance purposes include UK, USA, Italy, Japan, Austria, Australia etc. The list of victim counties or nations is much bigger in contrast. Some prominent victims of Drone Air Strikes include Congo, Venice, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. However, it is also an undeniable fact that the massive production and usage of Drones got multiplied in the 21st century.
Imagine yourself in a place with brick phones, slow computers, and typewriters. This may be hard to picture but it was a reality back than. Now a days we have all sorts of technologies that help us examine and explore everything around us. The thing is, which one would be the most advanced for researchers and explorers to use today? After reading Florida Waters Treasure Hunters, Weather Reconnaissance, and Search for Ancient Civilizations, the sattelite would be the most advanced technology researchers and explorers would use today.