Drones
312 Articles
U.S. Lethal Operations in Somalia Are On the Rise. But Are They Effective?
A deep-rooted ideology cannot be defeated with bombs dropped from the sky. What is needed is a real shift in strategy.
Many Problems with Forever War: Being Too Humane Is Not One of Them
A challenge to the notion that increasing humanity in war is a bad thing from two people who work for a non-governmental organization devoted to the protection of civilians.…
Post-9/11 Generation Reaches Enlistment Age in Unmoored ‘War on Terror’
Human Rights First International Legal Counsel Rita Siemion says it's long past time to ensure that war-based authorities are used only when specifically authorized by Congress…
Niger Facing Pressure to Ensure U.S. and French Drone Strikes Comply with Human Rights Law
Thanks to the diligent work of journalists, Just Security readers probably know by now that the United States has a squadron of armed drones based in the West African nation of…
Condolence Payments for Civilian Casualties: Lessons for Applying the New NDAA
The new National Defense Authorization Act can help improve the way the U.S. responds to civilian casualties. FOIA requests and interviews with DoD officials, U.S. soldiers, judge…
US Military Admits It Killed Dozens More Civilians Than Previously Acknowledged. Now What?
In June and July, the US-led Coalition of countries fighting the armed group calling itself the Islamic State admitted that reports of civilian casualties it had previously dismissed…
Precision and Civilian Casualties: Policymakers Believe Drones Can Be Precise. That May Not Be Enough.
What do policymakers’ own views of drones – particularly as they relate to civilian casualties – reflect, and how do those views affect policymaking?
Dangerous Drone Bill Emerges from Senate Committee
It’s rare that a congressional committee tasked with overseeing homeland security approves a bill that would not only authorize sweeping surveillance, but also could pose a significant…
US – Pakistan Relations: A Marriage of Inconvenience
This article is the latest in a series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute that features the voices of experts and advocates from…
What Questions Should Congress Be Asking DoD About Civilian Casualties?
The Trump administration is due to submit today two important reports on civilian casualties—one to Congress and one to the public. Here are the questions Congress should be…
Trump Administration’s New Weapons Export Policies Stress Benefit to U.S. Economy
After months of anticipation, the Trump administration recently released a new conventional arms transfer (CAT) policy and a new unmanned aerial systems (UAS) export policy. Both…
Civilian Casualties and Effectiveness of U.S. Drone Strikes in Yemen
This is the first of two articles on U.S. counterterrorism operations in Yemen. It also the latest in a new series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human…