Nick Mariano
Dr. Mark Wilson
ETH 2050
24 November 2014
Game of Drones
In the Civil War, Confederate generals like Robert E. Lee dismissed guerilla warfare as dishonorable and immoral. It was akin to shooting a man in the back, they said. Today, guerilla warfare forms the foundation of modern military strategy. No longer do we march our armies into open fields wearing blue uniforms. Instead, soldiers wear camouflage, guns have silencers, snipers are stationed hundreds of meters from the heart of the battle, and stealth bombers patrol the skies. War evolves, and military strategy evolves with it.
The introduction of drones effects a new era of war. To paraphrase American political scientist P.W. Singer, for the first time, we seek to redefine …show more content…
It builds upon distinction in that the military action must be an attack on a military objective (Geneva Conventions A.52§2) and that the collateral damage to civilians must not be “excessive in relation to the concrete direct overall military advantage anticipated” (Rome A.8§2:b.iv). Further, it mandates that it must be the intention of the military action to aid in the defeat of the enemy. Without generally conforming to these three principles, the military action may be considered in violation of international law and, for all intents and purposes, unethical and …show more content…
When he first returned home, Farea Al-Muslimi, a young Yemeni man who spent “one of the best years of [his] life” in America, gleefully described the “friendship and values” he had gained while in the U.S. to his fellow villagers, helping them to understand the America that he knew and loved. In 2013, his village was struck by an American drone attack. Now, he says, when the villagers think of America, “…they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads, ready to fire missiles at any time.” At present, Al-Muslimi concludes, “Drone strikes are the face of America to many Yemenis”
Dr. Mark Wilson
ETH 2050
24 November 2014
Game of Drones
In the Civil War, Confederate generals like Robert E. Lee dismissed guerilla warfare as dishonorable and immoral. It was akin to shooting a man in the back, they said. Today, guerilla warfare forms the foundation of modern military strategy. No longer do we march our armies into open fields wearing blue uniforms. Instead, soldiers wear camouflage, guns have silencers, snipers are stationed hundreds of meters from the heart of the battle, and stealth bombers patrol the skies. War evolves, and military strategy evolves with it.
The introduction of drones effects a new era of war. To paraphrase American political scientist P.W. Singer, for the first time, we seek to redefine …show more content…
It builds upon distinction in that the military action must be an attack on a military objective (Geneva Conventions A.52§2) and that the collateral damage to civilians must not be “excessive in relation to the concrete direct overall military advantage anticipated” (Rome A.8§2:b.iv). Further, it mandates that it must be the intention of the military action to aid in the defeat of the enemy. Without generally conforming to these three principles, the military action may be considered in violation of international law and, for all intents and purposes, unethical and …show more content…
When he first returned home, Farea Al-Muslimi, a young Yemeni man who spent “one of the best years of [his] life” in America, gleefully described the “friendship and values” he had gained while in the U.S. to his fellow villagers, helping them to understand the America that he knew and loved. In 2013, his village was struck by an American drone attack. Now, he says, when the villagers think of America, “…they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads, ready to fire missiles at any time.” At present, Al-Muslimi concludes, “Drone strikes are the face of America to many Yemenis”