Drone Wars: Transforming Conflict, Law, and Policy

by Peter L. Bergen (Editor), Daniel Rothenberg (Editor)

Drones are the iconic military technology of many of today's most pressing conflicts, a lens through which U.S. foreign policy is understood, and a means for discussing key issues regarding the laws of war and the changing nature of global politics. Drones have captured the public imagination, partly because they project lethal force in a manner that challenges accepted rules, norms, and moral understandings. Drone Wars presents a series of essays by legal scholars, journalists, government officials, military analysts, social scientists, and foreign policy experts. It addresses drones' impact on the ground, how their use adheres to and challenges the laws of war, their relationship to complex policy challenges, and the ways they help us understand the future of war. The book is a diverse and comprehensive interdisciplinary perspective on drones that covers important debates on targeted killing and civilian casualties, presents key data on drone deployment, and offers new ideas on their historical development, significance, and impact on law and policy. Drone Wars documents the current state of the field at an important moment in history when new military technologies are transforming how war is practiced by the United States and, increasingly, by other states and by non-state actors around the world.

Genres: Politics, Technology

512 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2014

About the author

Peter Bergen (born 1962) is an American born, England-raised print and television journalist, author, and CNN's national security analyst. Bergen produced the first television interview with Osama Bin Laden in 1997. The interview, which aired on CNN, marked the first time that bin Laden declared war against the United States to a Western audience. Bergen has written several books including: Holy War, Inc., The Osama bin Laden I Know, and The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and al-Qaeda (Jan. 2011).

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read. There is a lot of data to digest as you read through all the information. I felt myself agreeing and disagreeing over and over. There are valid arguments to made on both sides. The fact that there is little oversight and less well defined policy or legislation is clear. The technology is running ahead of any policies put in place either nationally or internationally.

Is it fair to compare convention warfare with covert drone killings? Does international law which governs warfare apply to the wild wild west of drone strikes? And what happens next, now that something like 86 countries have drone programs? Will they use them as the USA has or in some other way as yet unknown? These are just some of the questions that the scholars, journalist and policy makers that have contributed to this book struggle with.

There are lots of books out there on drone wars and this is just one. But I urge people to read one, any one, and educate yourself of the legality, proportional use and serious consequences of drone strikes. They are a part of our lives now and we should all have a better understanding of the pros and cons of drone programs.

I gave this book 5 stars because it took the massive amount of data and made it understandable to a lay person. I think Peter Bergen did an excellent job editing and presenting coherent, easy to follow arguments both for and against the drone program the USA has used.

[Faine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good compilation and introduction to contemporary issues revolving around the usage of drones in combat. Of particular interest are the passages looking at how drone pilots in warfare often suffer from PTSD and other mental issues - indicating that this is not the "video game warfare" often critiqued by opponents.