A new drone policy could save lives
Over on the Cipher Brief my friend Rachel Stohl of the Stimson Center has a new essay (“Trump Drone Policy Taking Shape”) in which she expresses concerns about what she thinks the new administration’s...
Category: Drones
Why do critics ignore the potential civilian casualties if an airstrike against ISIS doesn’t take place? Let’s think about the moral hazard of inaction.
Many individuals and groups are quick to criticize the U.S.-led coalition when airstrikes aimed at defeating the Islamic State sometimes cause civilian deaths. What they never seem to take into consideration is what I’ve...
Well done on your casualty disclosures Mr. President, but your drone policies still need some work
Yesterday, at the direction of the President the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) issued the much-anticipated “Summary of Information Regarding U.S. Counterterrorism Strikes Outside Areas of Active Hostilities” about civilian casualties from drone strikes...
Sorry drone critics, but refraining from attacking enemy leaders who are targeting U.S. troops and helpless civilians is a terrible idea
Drone critics seem to be getting ever more desperate to delegitimize what is increasingly proving to be one of the most effective tactics against terrorist organizations: neutralizing their leaders. For a while the critics...
In armed conflict, can it be Constitutional to target Americans with drones (or anything else)? Yes, and here’s a book that explains why.
My friend and colleague Professor Jeff Powell has written a terrific new book entitled Targeting Americans: The Constitutionality of the U.S. Drone War. Last week the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security co-hosted...
The Media and Drones: A Response to the New York Times
One of the most frustrating things about the drone debate is that so many of the critics (in the media especially) complain about the government’s alleged lack of transparency, yet fail themselves to give...
The Drone Debate: Critiquing the Stimson Report Card
One of the more interesting facts related to the debate over the U.S.’s use of drones as an important part of an overall counter-terrorism strategy is found in a Pew Research Center poll from...
