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The Roles of Technology in Warfare
Technology in modern warfare
Advantages of military technology in combat
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Recommended: The Roles of Technology in Warfare
Introduction
September 11 attacks marked an unprecedented development and advancement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. Because of their technological capabilities and strategic advantages, drones have been used by the United States government as one of the main weapons in ‘war against terrorism.’ An unmanned aircraft was first used by Elmer Sperry, creator of the gyroscope, when sinking a German captured battleship, but its usage for military purposes began after 1985 (Shaw, 2012, p. 1490). As the United States initiated the use drones against Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, vast criticism sparked throughout the world questioning its legality under the international law. In this paper, I will focus on the legitimacy of targeted killing, its ambiguous lawfulness under jus ad bellum [Latin - right to war], and humanitarian problems caused in Pakistan during Bush and Obama administrations. I will conclude my paper by claiming that the current drone policy of the U.S. government is illegitimate, counterproductive, and inhumane while drones itself are extremely important against terrorist organizations. In other words, I will argue that by reforming some aspects of the drone policy and by using it in accordance to the international law, drones are important for the U.S. security.
Success & Importance
Despite the fact that drones became enormously popular after September 11 attacks during the Bush administration, its usage against Al-Qaeda and Taliban has sextupled since Barack Obama’s inauguration as the president of the United States in 2009. Although the exact amount of victims is unknown due to confidentiality from the CIA and the U.S. government, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) has ga...
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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.
In addition, Byman argues that “drones have devastated al Qaeda and associated anti-American militant groups... and they have done so at little financial cost” (Byman 1). In the article, Byman compares the financia...
On the use of drones, NYT’s Peter M. Singer (“Do Drones Undermine Democracy?”) makes the comprehensive argument that the use of drones goes against the how wars are meant to be fought—human participation. It can be counter argued that these automatons are better in terms of expendability; personnel are not easily replaced while drones are easily replaceable. The Bush 43 strategy relied more on men, and it did yielded adverse results politically. The switch to drones presented dynamic political benefits, for which Singer argued allowed for circumvention of aggravated/emotive discourse among members of the American populace, academics and mass media. It is imperative to remember that the cost of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq—increases in casualties—was detrimental to the American credibility and brought about victory to Obama in 2008 elections.
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Roggio, Bill. "US Drones Kill 2 AQAP Fighters in Eastern Yemen." The Long War Journal. The
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Indeed, as prior U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wrote when describing the war on terror, “this will be a war like none other our nation has faced.” However, these changes bring the morality of this new face of war into question, and the justification of drone use and other modern military tactics involved in the war on terror is a subject of much debate. Focusing on U.S. involvement in Yemen from 2010-2015 as part of the war on terror, this essay will argue that, while the U.S. has met most of the criteria of jus ad bellum, the methods the U.S. has employed to counter terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda have ultimately violated the principles of just war theory, even when analyzed from the perspective of modern warfare within the framework of the current global
“Hell-raiser, razor-feathered risers, windhover over Peshawar,”(Majmudar Lines 1-3) That was the first stanza of the poem “Ode to a Drone” by Amit Majmudar. This poem is written by a Muslim American who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. The first stanza is the beginning to an ode to a drone, but immediately, you know he is not praising the drone for being powerful, he is explaining how it is unnecessarily destructive. A drone is an unmanned flying vehicle that shoots missiles or drops bombs on targets in modern warfare. Modern warfare today is taking place in the Middle East which is a transcontinental region centered on Western Asia and Egypt. Many terrorist groups such as ISIS, which is the largest threat right now.
One of the latest and most controversial topics that has risen over the past five to ten years is whether or not drones should be used as a means of war, surveillance, and delivery systems. Common misconceptions usually lead to people’s opposition to the use of drones; which is the reason it is important for people to know the facts about how and why they are used. Wartime capabilities will provide for less casualties and more effective strikes. New delivery and surveillance systems in Africa, the United Air Emirates and the United States will cut costs and increase efficiency across the board. Rules and regulations on drones may be difficult to enforce, but will not be impossible to achieve. The use of drones as weapons of war and delivery and surveillance systems should not be dismissed because many people do not realize the real capabilities of drones and how they can be used to better the world through efficient air strikes, faster delivery times, and useful surveillance.
A lot of countries all over the world depend on technological advances to fight against their opponents. This reduced the risk of having a soldier wounded or dying in a war by making it easier with using these technologies when it comes to head to head combat. Even though using technologies are a great idea but many ethical issues arise from it. One of the main issue is the use of these Drones. This technology is developing more and more. In a recent study showed that there are over 700 active drone development all over the world and these programs are controlled under companies, research institutes, and the government. United States is mainly using these drones to fight against so called “terrorist” but some other countries use them as well. It is immoral and unethical to use these drones because it cause psychological disorders, violate privacy, cause deaths of innocent lives, and increase terrorism. (Reardon)
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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.
The U.S has sent these UAVs into Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, which is far away from where any American troop has been. engaged. The U.S has been using drones to diminish the al Qaeda forces. Despite the Obama administrations call for limits on drone strikes, Washington still uses them to kill off Al Qaeda leadership. “In Pakistan, the approximately 350 strikes since 2004 have cut the number of core al Qaeda members in the tribal areas by about 75 percent, to roughly 50-100.” (Kurth para. 2), which has resulted in a decrees of attacks in the area the drones hit. Al Qaeda proved remarkably adaptable to the drone attacks. In February a document was left behind by Islamist fighters fleeing Mali, the document detailed tips for avoiding drone attacks, twenty-two tips in total. Ranging from using trees as cover, to placing statues and dolls outside to mislead aerial intelligence, and covering vehicles with straw mats. The drone strikes have not hindered al Qaeda’s ability to replace dead leaders with new ones. The drone strikes have proven to be affective, but has made the organization angry in the process. Al Qaeda has been able to attract new recruits and resources by broadcasting footage of drone strikes, portraying them as acts of violence against Muslims. With the drone strikes that result in civilian deaths, al Qaeda uses them to frame Americans and show
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