1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910779325303321

Autore

Zenko Micah

Titolo

Reforming U.S. drone strike policies / / Micah Zenko

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, New York : , : Council on Foreign Relations, , 2013

©2013

ISBN

0-87609-545-7

0-87609-546-5

1-299-14781-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (52 p.)

Collana

Council Special Report ; ; Number 65

Disciplina

358.4/283

Soggetti

Drone aircraft - Government policy - United States

Targeted killing - Government policy - United States

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di contenuto

Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; How Drones Are Different; Issues in U.S. Drone Strike Policies; Drone Strikes by Other States or Nonstate Actors; Recommendations; Endnotes; About the Author; Advisory Committee for Reforming U.S. Drone Strike Policies; CPA Advisory Committee; Mission Statement of the Center for Preventive Action; Council Special Reports

Sommario/riassunto

"Over the last ten years, drones have become a critical tool in the war against terrorist and militant organizations worldwide. Their advantages over other weapons and intelligence systems are well known. They can silently observe an individual, group, or location for hours on end, but take immediate action should a strike opportunity become available-- all without putting a pilot at risk. This combination of capabilities is unique and has allowed the United States to decimate the leadership of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and disrupt the activities of many other militant groups. Yet, as Micah Zenko writes in this Council Special Report, drones are not without their drawbacks, especially with regard to targeted killings. Like any tool, drones are only as useful as the information guiding them, and for this they are heavily reliant on local military and intelligence cooperation. More important, significant questions exist about who constitutes a legitimate target and under



what circumstances it is acceptable to strike. There is also the question of net utility: To what extent are the specific benefits derived from drone strikes offset by the reality that the strikes often alienate the local government and population? And there is the reality that drones are proliferating but, as is often the case with new technologies, the international legal and regulatory framework is lagging behind. Zenko puts forward a substantive agenda. He argues that the United States should end so-called signature strikes, which target unidentified militants based on their behavior patterns and personal networks, and limit targeted killings to a limited number of specific terrorists with transnational ambitions. He also calls Congress to improve its oversight of drone strikes and to continue restrictions on armed drone sales. Finally, he recommends that the United States work internationally to establish rules and norms governing the use of drones."--Foreword.