Are drone attacks legitimate, i.e. based on a solid moral and legal basis? How people perceive the legitimacy of U.S. drone strikes – firing missiles from remotely piloted aircraft at terrorist and insurgent leaders – varies crucial as to if and the way the federal government can proceed to make use of them.
The American public tends to not query military motion it perceived as legitimateand US politicians often check with it Legitimacy of US drone strikes. The U.S. military, which is chargeable for carrying out most drone strikes worldwide, has also done so assumed legitimacy As a Principle of anti-terrorist operations.
But what shapes perceptions of legitimate drone warfare, how do these perceptions vary depending on audiences, and what impact does this have on the US drone program? usually are not well understood. This divide is surprising on condition that “over-the-horizon” drone strikes — firing missiles at targets many miles away — have dominated U.S. counterterrorism policy in Afghanistan And elsewhereeven though it is so recurrently criticized.
Drone strikes differ from other uses of force due to the distance at which operators fire their weapons. Drone operators are typically tons of or 1000’s of kilometers away from their targets, which they observe through drone and satellite-based cameras and sensors. In the worst case, this could result in misidentification of the goal Civilian deaths.
Part of the issue is that students disagree about what constitutes drone warfare, which impacts how they understand differences in public perceptions of legitimacy. As a military scholar who study the subjectWe Define drone warfare as a function of strike attributes, i.e. how and why they’re used abroad.
Using this definition, we found that the way in which a rustic uses drones and restricts their use influences people's perceptions of legitimacy. We also found that perceptions of legitimacy vary between U.S. residents and soldiers, particularly clergy who direct the moral use of force. We will present our study of military chaplains' attitudes toward drone strikes in each locations US Army Religious Leadership Institute and the American Political Science Association annual meeting in September 2024.
Uses and Limitations
Countries use drones for various purposes.
Tactical Attacks are used to realize goals on the battlefield, resembling destroying enemy terrain.
Strategic attacks Destroy terrorist organizations to realize general war goals. They are used to Remove key terrorist leaders. The aim of such a “Decapitation operations“means to speed up a Collapse of a terrorist group.
In addition, countries restrict the usage of drones in a different way. Some use self-imposed restrictions. These include Targeting standardsthat are calibrated on scales Effectiveness against expected civilian casualties. Others use externally imposed restrictions resembling: International authorization for drone strikes.
Beliefs of US Citizens
Based on our definition of drone warfare as a matter of the various uses and limitations of drones, we reviewed and analyzed public perception of the legitimacy of drone attacks.
We found that U.S. residents perceive over-the-horizon drone strikes, through which drones are used strategically without external oversight, to be essentially the most legitimate. This pattern of drone warfare characterizes the United States' approach. Global approach.
However, we also found that U.S. residents' perceptions of legitimacy are affected by civilian casualties, causing Americans to reconsider their reliance on internal constraints resembling targeting standards. Given the variety of civilian casualties, U.S. residents' perceptions of legitimacy are shaped by international reasonably than domestic oversight, reflecting the idea that international consent is obligatory is central to the suitable use of force.
Beliefs of the U.S. Army Chaplains
We compared these results to the beliefs of U.S. Army chaplains, providing the primary evidence of how these key advisors to military commanders perceive the legitimacy of drone warfare.
The US Army is carrying out this essentially the most strikes of any service. Chaplains within the Army are “moral advocates“During a conflict that “provides professional advice, assistance and instruction on religious, moral and ethical issues.” based on the regulations. Many commanders within the military have a robust religious belief, suggesting that they might seek the recommendation of pastors. Similarly, chaplains provide care to drone operators who’re in danger moral injuryThis refers back to the emotional or psychological harm that individuals suffer once they exceed their moral boundaries.
Some experts suggest that chaplains play an advisory role could also be exaggerated. However, these scholars often study chaplains during interstate wars. Our research sheds recent light on clergy attitudes toward the usage of drones against non-state adversaries resembling terrorist organizations.
We found that chaplains, unlike the U.S. public, view over-the-horizon drone strikes as illegitimate. Rather, chaplains view tactical-level attacks on the battlefield as highly legitimate, especially once they are highly limited through politics.
Even then, clergy are less supportive of those drone strikes than their perception of legitimacy suggests. Why shouldn’t pastors support drone strikes that they consider legitimate? We found that this “legitimacy paradox” reflects underlying concerns. In our survey, chaplains incessantly questioned the legality of attacks, the accuracy of intelligence information, the territorial integrity of the countries attacked, and the impact on national security.
The way forward for US drone warfare
These findings have implications for policy, strategy and military readiness. To strengthen residents' and soldiers' perceptions of the legitimacy of the U.S. drone program, our results suggest that elected and military leaders would wish to take several steps.
First, elected officials would need to do that Discuss this system transparently. Specifically, they might need to justify a violation of a rustic's sovereignty, especially with regard to expected security gains.
Second, military leaders would have to clarify this Secret service that promotes drone operationsmeasures to Protect civiliansand the way it strikes comply with international law.
Finally, military leaders would wish to look at the potential for differing perceptions of legitimacy from other soldiers, particularly vis-à-vis Emergence of fully autonomous drones that may discover, track and attack targets without human supervision. Military lawyersFor example, additionally they tackle a vital advisory role for commanders. Lawyers Traininginformed by their understanding of the laws of armed conflict reasonably than moral considerations, suggests that they might interpret the legitimacy of drone strikes in a different way than pastors.
In our expert opinion, these steps would supply the transparency and reflection needed to deal with legitimacy issues fundamental to civilian and military support for the U.S. drone program.
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