10 The Post-9/11 Era: Drones and Just War Theory
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Daniel R. Brunstetter
Abstract
Armed drone technology has fueled the belief that modern war can protect ‘our’ soldiers and ‘their’ civilians at the same time. However, their deployment in various military theaters has raised important ethical questions. Practitioners, military officials, and government leaders have turned to the principles of just war theory to address these issues, but despite the claim that the drones are the most ethical weapons in human history, scholars have also turned to the language of just war to offer a more critical appraisal of the drone revolution in military affairs. This chapter provides a generalized assessment of the ethical concerns raised by drones, employing the widely accepted ethical categories of just war theory: jus ad bellum (justice of going to war), jus in bello (justice in war), and jus post bellum (justice after war) exists. A section devoted to each highlights the central questions drone use has raised and provides insights into the key debates. Illustrative examples drawn from the controversial United States’ drone program spanning the embers of 9/11 to the present day, highlight the enduring ethical questions that remain hotly debated. The conclusion widens the scope of the subject by introducing further avenues of ethical inquiry related to armed drones.
Abstract
Armed drone technology has fueled the belief that modern war can protect ‘our’ soldiers and ‘their’ civilians at the same time. However, their deployment in various military theaters has raised important ethical questions. Practitioners, military officials, and government leaders have turned to the principles of just war theory to address these issues, but despite the claim that the drones are the most ethical weapons in human history, scholars have also turned to the language of just war to offer a more critical appraisal of the drone revolution in military affairs. This chapter provides a generalized assessment of the ethical concerns raised by drones, employing the widely accepted ethical categories of just war theory: jus ad bellum (justice of going to war), jus in bello (justice in war), and jus post bellum (justice after war) exists. A section devoted to each highlights the central questions drone use has raised and provides insights into the key debates. Illustrative examples drawn from the controversial United States’ drone program spanning the embers of 9/11 to the present day, highlight the enduring ethical questions that remain hotly debated. The conclusion widens the scope of the subject by introducing further avenues of ethical inquiry related to armed drones.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- 1 Introduction: Why Study Drones? 1
-
Part 1: Approaches to the Study of Drone Warfare
- 2 What Is Drone Warfare? 9
- 3 Defining Drones 25
- 4 Drones and International Law 41
- 5 Drone Imaginaries 57
- 6 A Gendering of Drones 69
- 7 Critiquing Drone Warfare 87
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Part 2: The First Drone Age
- 8 What Is ‘The First Drone Age’? 107
- 9 Drone Pilots: The Struggles of War by Remote Control 111
- 10 The Post-9/11 Era: Drones and Just War Theory 125
- 11 The CIA Drone Program 141
- 12 Drones and Civilian Harm 159
- 13 Drone Warfare and Public Opinion 177
- 14 Living Under Drones 197
- 15 The Media and Drone Warfare 215
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Part 3: The Second Drone Age
- 16 What is ‘The Second Drone Age’? 237
- 17 The Islamic State Drone Program 243
- 18 The Use of Drones in West Africa and the Sahel 255
- 19 China’s Drone Diplomacy 267
- 20 Russian Military Drones: Established and Emerging Technologies in Ukraine 285
- 21 Europe’s Military Drone Problem 299
- 22 Violent Nonstate Exploitation of Commercial Drones 313
- 23 Game-Changing Drones? The Record from Libya to Ukraine 325
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Part 4: A Third Drone Age? Concerns and Visions for the Future
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Concerns
- 24 Domestic Drones and Domestic Threat: Urban Life in the Drone Age 343
- 25 Autonomous Drones 369
- 26 Swarming Drones 385
- 27 Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems 399
-
Visions
- 28 The Diffusion of Drone Warfare – A Ten Year Review 421
- 29 Drones: A Unique Danger to International Law 437
- 30 Drone Proliferation and IR Theory: Visions for the Future 453
- Contributors to this Volume 475
- Index 485
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- 1 Introduction: Why Study Drones? 1
-
Part 1: Approaches to the Study of Drone Warfare
- 2 What Is Drone Warfare? 9
- 3 Defining Drones 25
- 4 Drones and International Law 41
- 5 Drone Imaginaries 57
- 6 A Gendering of Drones 69
- 7 Critiquing Drone Warfare 87
-
Part 2: The First Drone Age
- 8 What Is ‘The First Drone Age’? 107
- 9 Drone Pilots: The Struggles of War by Remote Control 111
- 10 The Post-9/11 Era: Drones and Just War Theory 125
- 11 The CIA Drone Program 141
- 12 Drones and Civilian Harm 159
- 13 Drone Warfare and Public Opinion 177
- 14 Living Under Drones 197
- 15 The Media and Drone Warfare 215
-
Part 3: The Second Drone Age
- 16 What is ‘The Second Drone Age’? 237
- 17 The Islamic State Drone Program 243
- 18 The Use of Drones in West Africa and the Sahel 255
- 19 China’s Drone Diplomacy 267
- 20 Russian Military Drones: Established and Emerging Technologies in Ukraine 285
- 21 Europe’s Military Drone Problem 299
- 22 Violent Nonstate Exploitation of Commercial Drones 313
- 23 Game-Changing Drones? The Record from Libya to Ukraine 325
-
Part 4: A Third Drone Age? Concerns and Visions for the Future
-
Concerns
- 24 Domestic Drones and Domestic Threat: Urban Life in the Drone Age 343
- 25 Autonomous Drones 369
- 26 Swarming Drones 385
- 27 Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems 399
-
Visions
- 28 The Diffusion of Drone Warfare – A Ten Year Review 421
- 29 Drones: A Unique Danger to International Law 437
- 30 Drone Proliferation and IR Theory: Visions for the Future 453
- Contributors to this Volume 475
- Index 485
