| Publication |
2012-13.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The future role of US drones has been the subject of considerable controversy due to their use in remote parts of the world
to target individuals designated as terrorists. In his confirmation hearings, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concerns about
overseas perceptions of such activities by stating that, "American foreign
policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone."1
Additionally,
within the United States, many issues surrounding drone use clearly need
scrupulous legal and ethical consideration. Underlying all these factors,
however, must be a consideration of the issue of military effectiveness.
Regulating the use of a marginally valuable weapons-system is easy, while
regulating a highly effective system in a way that forecloses options can
be difficult since more is at stake. Careful consideration must be given
to how effectively these systems can serve US interests as well as the
negative consequences of overseas backlash to their use when evaluating
their optimal place in US strategy.
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