Drones, Ethics, and Just War

During the Obama administration, drones have become a key weapon in the fight against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Indeed, drones mark a substantive shift in war fighting. Gone is George W. Bush’s era of talk of a “global war on terror” and full-scale conventional invasions. In their place, we now hear references to asymmetrical war, Special Forces, and drones. Mr. Bush’s “long wars” have become Mr. Obama “drone wars.”

The change in policy is not simply that of one administration versus another. Rather, it helps explain the recent, brief history of drone strikes. As early as the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Obama vowed to step up the fight against al-Qaeda by making greater use of drones, especially in Pakistan. True to his word, Obama’s first term saw a marked increase in the deployment of drones, especially in the Pakistani tribal areas. The policy, of course, has proven controversial in Pakistan, with traditional allies, and with segments of the US population, although sizable majorities of Americans continue to support Obama’s aggressive use of drones overseas. Even as critics questioned Obama’s reliance on drone strikes, the administration was dramatically reducing the number of strikes, tightening the requirements for a strike to be authorized, and shifting control from the CIA to the Pentagon.