Drones
317 Articles
The United States’ Position on Extraterritoriality: The Time For Change Is Now
[Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the extraterritorial application of human rights treaties in light of the release of two State Department memos and…
It’s a Serious Mistake for the US Government To Maintain It Need Not Follow Human Rights Law Beyond US Borders
[Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the extraterritorial application of human rights treaties in light of the release of two State Department memos and…
A Step in the Wrong Direction: The EU Parliament’s Drone Resolution
The European Parliament resolution on armed drones that calls, inter alia, for adoption of a common EU position on their use has ignited controversy. In particular, the resolution…
Too Much War, Not Enough Human Rights from the UN Special Rapporteur and European Parliament
Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Ben Emmerson’s latest report and the European Parliament’s resolution on drones highlight some pressing issues. Most…
Key Findings in New UN Special Rapporteur Report on Drones
The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson, has now released the final report on…
United Nations Releases New Report on Drones
[Editor’s note: Emmerson’s drone report is also publicly available on the UN website.] Last year, two UN Special Rapporteurs released major reports on drones — a…
The Political Support and Divisions Behind the European Parliament Resolution on Drones
By a large majority, the European Parliament yesterday passed a resolution condemning “the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework” and calling on the…
European Parliament Passes Resolution on Drones, Targeted Killings, and Fully Autonomous Weapons
In a landslide vote (534 to 49), the European Parliament has passed a Resolution on drones, targeted killings, and fully autonomous weapons. Stay tuned for a post from one of the…
Secrecy, Nonacknowledgement, and Yemen
Ryan posted last week about varying accounts of who was killed in an attack on an apparent wedding party in rural Yemen on December 12, 2013. A Human Rights Watch report quotes…
Missing Transparency: Is the US Response to Reported Drone Attack on Wedding Party Self-Defeating?
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a fact-intensive report based on the group’s investigations into a US drone strike that allegedly hit a wedding party in Yemen…
Letter to the Editor from former US Air Force Airman and drone sensor operator, Brandon Bryant
[Editor’s note: Brandon Bryant is a former U.S. Air Force Airman, who served as a sensor operator for the Air Force drone program (2005-2011). Following his active duty in the…
A Rejoinder from Jenks and Corn re U.S. SIGINT Based Targeting
There is probably no area of greater consensus between us and Professors Goodman and Jinks (their post) than the recognition that the law of armed conflict should and must be responsive…