The Implications of Drones on the Just War Tradition (Company Overview‪)‬

In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 2009, President Barack Obama referenced the importance of the just war tradition in guiding the use of force: "And over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did phi10sophers and clerics and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a 'just war' emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when certain conditions were met: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence." At the same time that Obama was speaking, Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles were flying missions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen, undertaking deadly strikes against perceived security threats. These combat drones, such as the Predator and Reaper, are a unique addition to the military arsenal. (2) Unbound by the subsistence needs of the human body and designed for refueling in midair, drones are capable of remaining aloft for days at a time. Their surveillance imagery is state of the art, and they can be equipped with laser-guided missiles. They offer precise airpower in almost any environment and, used effectively, are capable of targeting terrorists and insurgency groups across international borders, protecting soldiers from harm's way, and (in theory) minimizing the risk of civilian casualties. It should be noted at the outset that the United States is not the only country that operates drones. For example, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Iran, Israel, Russia, South Korea, and Turkey all have drone technology, but of these countries only the United States, Great Britain, and Israel have armed drones that have been used in combat. The rest have, to date, used drones for surveillance purposes only. That said, there is a marked trend for both state and nonstate actors (such as Hezbollah) to acquire increasingly sophisticated drone technology, which suggests that drones will become an ever more important tool in modern warfare. As with any tool, drones can be either helpful or harmful depending on how they are used, which means that our understanding of the ethics of war needs to be updated to take their use into account.