A drone, also known as an "unmanned aerial vehicle" (UAV), is an aircraft without a pilot on board. It can be remotely controlled from thousands of miles away. Drones are used for a variety of reasons, but most notably for reconnaissance and unmanned aerial combat (UCAV--unmanned combat aerial vehicle). They have been around since 1995 when the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator was used as part of a NATO intervention in Bosnia for reconnaissance. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Predator #3034 (fitted with Hellfire missiles) was deployed to Afghanistan where it carried out its first armed mission on October 7, 2001. In 2007 General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (UCAV capable of carrying bigger payload) was introduced and is currently being used by the CIA and JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command). Drones are primarily supposed to be used with military campaigns and in countries that harbor terrorists. The U.S. military have used drones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and according to some reports Iran. The precise number killed by drone strikes is not known. The Council on Foreign Affairs estimates the total at 3,500 deaths in the 420 targeted attacks since the first strike in 2001. There's no way to tell how many civilians were killed in the process. Although most drone strikes are carried out secretly, there are many that the public were made aware of through various news outlets. Drones are a necessary tool for the U.S. military. They have been proven to be useful and highly successful when it comes to targeting Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist networks.
Many human rights groups question the legality of drone strikes. There are many protesting the use of drones in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and of course the United States. Clergymen and leaders of faith claim that drone strikes are immoral and unethical. After Sept. 11, most Americans supported the use of drones, but according to a poll conducted by YouGov this past March, 53% of Americans approved the use of drones to kill high-level terrorist suspects overseas. The support and opinion of drone use is shifting. There are movements being formed to pressure the Obama Administration to tell the truth about their drone programs, claiming that drone strikes kill mostly civilians. They also claim that only low-level terrorists are being targeted and in actuality, are making America a less safer place. The bombing from the drones are killing civilians, displacing families, ruining communities and giving them a reason to join the insurgency against America. On top of the speculation that drone attacks are being deemed counter-intuitive, the cost to produce them is costing the American tax-payers billions of dollars. The number of drones has increased forty-fold from 2002-2010. The money spent producing drones has increased from $284 million in 2000, to $3.3 billion in 2010. Americans opposing the drone programs think the billions spent on the drone programs would be better used to build better relationships with the countries that are being affected by the drone strikes.I understand that drone strikes are not an exact science, but what is? Of all the attacks on terrorist cells and targets, most have been successful, but we usually only hear about it when a civilian is killed. When an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) goes off, civilians are killed, along with U.S. soldiers. How is that any different? The use of drones limits the military personnel that would be at risk on the battlefield. Military historian John Keegan called drone warfare "the impersonalization of battle." Studies have shown that disconnecting a person, especially by means of distance (physical or emotional) from a potential adversary makes targeting easier and abuses more likely. I completely understand the anger and protest of an American civilian being targeted and killed. But when that said American joins a foreign allegiance that kills American soldiers and is a threat to the U.S., i consider it fair and just punishment. The people that question the legality of drone strikes have a legitimate point. I believe that there should be guidelines that need to be followed, but I can deal with it if these drones will help keep the United States a safer place for me and my family.
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