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Georgina Burros Pd.

2 1/22/13 The Great Debate Essay: Military Drones Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as military drones, have been used increasingly in the last decade for the primary reasons of covert surveillance and security in countries such as Pakistan and Iran. These drones, used by the US military, target terrorists but also kill innocent civilians in foreign countries, increasing the foreign tension and widespread anti-US feelings in the Middle East. Military drones also escalate problems domestically as drones used in the United States for security reasons are said to be violating Americans privacy rights under the 4th amendment. The United States Military should abolish the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for covert surveillance, local security and counter-terrorist purposes due to the increased tension of foreign relations between other countries, civilian causalities, and domestic violation of privacy rights. Military drones are increasingly the United States militarys preferred weapon to kill terrorists. These remote-controlled killer planes also result in many innocent civilians being killed in countries such as Pakistan, where the United States Military has no authority granted by the Pakistani Government. Issues and Controversies database article Drones states "The Bush administration, and even more aggressively the Obama administration, embraced an extraordinary principle that the United States can send this robotic weapon over borders to kill perceived enemies, even American citizens, who are viewed as a threat." In 2004, under the Bush administration, only 1 drone strike was reported in Pakistan. However, as the Obama administration relied more heavily on these drones, the number of drone strikes increased to 117 in 2010. That number fell slightly in 2011 but is still much higher than under Bush (Drones). The United States Military uses these remote controlled robots to track terrorists and attack potential security threats, often causing civilian casualties due to drone strikes in countries the

Georgina Burros Pd. 2 1/22/13 United States are not currently at war with, such as Somalia, Yemen and Pakistan (Cloud). As surveillance is gathered by drones, the US is awash in data and rebukes from the Pakistani government. The data collected in 2010 is 24 years in surveillance video, if watched continuously (Drew). Clearly as the United States continues to use these drones equipped with weapons, it damages the foreign relations with other countries, causing more problems for the United States government. Supporters argue that these drones save lives and are a more humane way than directly killing potential threats, as US lives are most important and drones do not put US personnel at risk (The pros and Cons of Killer Drones). However, the casualties caused by drone strikes where the US has no right to interfere in the country or be in the countrys boundary are harmful to the US foreign relations, and produces anti-US sentiment in large parts of the Middle East (Drones). Abroad, the drones deployed by the CIA kill potential terrorists and suspected target, killing many innocent civilians. In 2011, a US drone deployed to Afghanistan killed 15 Afghans by mistake (Cloud). One of the most recent misuses of drones included a 4 year-old civilian casualty in Pakistan. SIRS database states, Critics of drones argue that strikes from unmanned U.S. aircraft are responsible for many civilian casualties in countries such as Yemen and Pakistan, where such strikes have been frequent. Salon blogger Glenn Greenwald recounts the story of a 4-year-old Pakistani girl who suffered disfiguring burns as a result of a 2009 U.S. drone strike. Greenwald writes, "[T]he fact is that the U.S. is continuously blowing up, burning, and killing innocent people, including numerous children, in the Muslim world." As the number of drone strikes increases, so do the reprimands and the decline in foreign relation stability, particularly in the Middle East. This is a major reason why they should not be depended upon for security and elimination of terrorist threats.

Georgina Burros Pd. 2 1/22/13 The consistency of drones is never reliable. The most controversial case of the use of government issued drone strike in the US was in 2012 where Al-Qaeda member and propagandist Anwar al-Alwaki was killed by a military drone, and the following week, his son, US citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was killed by a drone. This raises questions about the morality of drones. The fact that the government is killing an American citizen without a legal process reinforces the fact that military drones should be abolished (Kelley). The United States should capture terrorists and gather intelligence, instead of deciding to invade a country and make the decision that innocent people will die by drone strike. This method of warfare is unacceptable. Despite public perception, drones are not always the most effective method of warfare, and the US cannot continue to rely on these forms of weapons to support them in the war. Supporters of the drones argue that using these silent planes is a more effective way to defeat potential terrorist threats. While drones do help attack and possibly eliminate terrorists, their aim relies on surveillance data and other intelligence from officials, and creates room for natural errors. Since drones rely on human judgment, they should not be considered the flawless war tool due to the possibility of error. Also, while the US uses these drones to eliminate terrorist threats, terrorists in the Middle East know the area, and can receive help inside their countries. Sending in drones will never eliminate terrorism, because terrorists in groups such as Al Qaeda can be replaced, continue to grow and move around the world. The bottom line is, the US military should discontinue use of drones because of their tendency to kill innocent people, upset foreign populations, and increase the number of terrorists. Many Americans generally dont consider the effects drones have on the Pakistani and Afghan people, considering American lives the most important. Drones are continuously

Georgina Burros Pd. 2 1/22/13 affecting people in the United States, as domestically drones are being used to beef up the amount of security in many areas, watching for crime and patrolling the US-Mexico border (Drones). As drones are used to investigate crime and patrol neighborhood, they reach beyond the boundary of privacy, abusing the power to cross the line of governmental involvement and personal privacy. SIRS database states that: They want to use it for intelligence gathering that's spying," Linda Lye of the Northern California American Civil Liberties Union told media at a hastily called press conference Dec. 4 outside the Alameda County administration building in downtown Oakland.: (Scherr). Why is the government using these killer weapons to spy on its own people, and therefore violating their rights? Drones overstep the bounds of privacy by having the capability to see through walls and ceilings, monitor calls and text messages, and recognize faces (Scherr). The ShadowHawk in Texas carries less lethal weapons such as tear gas and rubber bullets (Scherr) .This is also an important aspect of the issue, as drones affect people in America by violating their privacy under the 4th Amendment in the Constitution (Scherr). This reinforces the statement that drones are harming local communities and their use should be discontinued. Lastly, media credibility is damaged with the use of drones. Drones could be used by journalists and the media to invade the privacy of celebrities and others. These UAVs are available for purchase to anyone, and pose threats if they fall into the wrong hands or malfunction when monitoring an event (Culver). The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is a highly controversial issue. Due to their capability to kill innocent civilians and intrude on citizens privacy, they should be abolished. Drones promote the acceptable attitude that sending robots to assassinate is acceptable in society, and their use spreads anti-US sentiment in many Islamic countries, damaging the US foreign

Georgina Burros Pd. 2 1/22/13 relations. Unmanned aerial vehicles are negatively re-defining modern day warfare, and for these reasons, this method of warfare should be abolished. Works Cited Culver, Kathleen Bartzen. "Ethics Aloft: The Pros and Cons of Journalists Using Drones." Public Broadcasting Service. Mediashift, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/12/ethics-aloft-the-pros-and-cons-of-journalists-usingdrones340.html>. Mayer, Jane, ed. New Yorker. Conde Nast, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/26/091026fa_fact_mayer>. "The Pros and Cons of Killer Drones." The Atlantic Wire. N.p., 7 Aug. 2009. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2009/08/ the-pros-and-cons-of-killer-drones/27322/>. Drew, Christopher. "Military is Awash in Data From Drones." The New York Times: n. pag. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/business/11drone.html?pagewanted=all>. "Drones." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1700040>.

Barry, John, and Evan Thomas. "Up in the Sky, an Unblinking Eye." Newsweek Vol. 151, No. 23. 09 Jun 2008: 24-29. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Jan 2013.

Georgina Burros Pd. 2 1/22/13 Scherr, Judith. "Drones Come Home, to U.S. Privacy Activists' Dismay." Global Information Network. 07 Dec 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Jan 2013.

Goodman, Marc. "Attack of the Drones." Jane's Intelligence Review. 01 Jan 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Jan 2013.

Drew, Christopher. "Military is Awash in Data From Drones." The New York Times: n. pag. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/business/ 11drone.html?pagewanted=all>. Editorial Board. "Pulling the US drone war out of the shadows." The Washington Post: n. pag. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/ 2012-11-01/opinions/35503416_1_drone-attacks-drone-strikes-qaeda>.

Cloud, David S. "Contractors' Role Grows in Drone Missions, Worrying Some in the..." McClatchy Tribune News Service. 19 Dec 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Jan 2013.

Kelley, Micheal. "Team Obama's Justification For Killing A 16-Year-Old American In A Drone Strike Is Stunning." The Washington Post: n. pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <http://www.businessinsider.com/ alwaki-son-yemen-16-drone-2012-10>.

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