Nate Pacello

3 Column Notes/ Annotated Bibliography

Source
Dilanian, Ken. "U.S.
Counter-terrorism
Strategy to Rely on
Surgical Strikes,
Unmanned Drones."
Los Angeles Times. Los
Angeles Times, 29 June
2011. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.

Levs, Josh. "CNN

Explains: U.S. Drones CNNPolitics.com." CNN.
Cable News Network, 8
Feb. 2013. Web. 27
Sept. 2015.

Annotation
The military prefers to use decapitation and surgical
strikes to kill radical threats. The opponent want to
increase anti-American anger and bleed America of its
money. Deploying a large army or conducting a large
scale air raid would not be productive. The strikes have
already devastated the leadership of terrorist
organizations. The author describes American UAV
attacks as creating a war from the shadows. Strikes
from the CIA allow the government to deny
responsibility for its actions. The article revealed that
two military members were mistaken for adversaries
and assassinated by a drone incidentally. Quotes from
John Brennan, Director of the CIA counterterrorism
program, were used to support Dilanians claims. In the
press conference, Brennan praised UAVs precision,
accuracy, and effectiveness. Brennan also clarified
misconceptions about civilian casualties.
This article is primarily about the militarys use of
drones in the Middle East to combat terrorist groups.
The author does an effective job at explaining the
scope of the drone campaign. Pakistan and Yemen are
the primary areas of focus for these drone strikes. Levs
references the New America Foundation to provide an
estimation of the number of attacks. In addition, Levs
reveals an approximate total amount of casualties and
discusses the concern of civilian casualties. The text
includes a lot of statistical information. All of these
stats are cited to trustworthy and reputable
organizations and sources. The author includes quotes
from knowledgeable individuals such as former

Thoughts/ Connections
The CIA and JSOC are effective
at killing the enemy using
drones that present the lowest
risk of incurring nonmilitary
personnel fatalities. RPAs are a
counter to hostile strategies of
weakening the American
economy. Other methods of
warfare would not be nearly as
productive.

Drones are used to survey,

monitor, and execute high
value targets or leaders in
terrorist groups. It is the most
efficient method of eliminating
the enemy without the risk of
American casualties. This new
weapon was crucial to finding
Osama Bin Laden. The hightech cameras equipped on the
UAVs enables the military to
survey a suspect for long
periods of time and then strike

Zenko, Micah.
"Transferring CIA Drone
Strikes to the
Pentagon." Council on
Foreign Relations.
Council on Foreign
Relations Press, Apr.
2013. Web. Oct. 2015.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, President Obama,

and national security analysts Peter Bergen. This article
can be applied to my research paper to inform the
audience about how and where the military uses UAVs
to eliminate the enemy.
The main purpose of this article is to express concern
with the hierarchy and organizations that are
responsible for oversight into the drone program. The
department of defense (DOD) and the central
intelligence agency (CIA) were delegated the authority
to control the targeted killings. By enabling the CIA to
participate in the attacks, the U.S is allowed to keep
the details of these drone strikes covert and secret.
However, due to the increased occurrences of these
missions, there has been tension from other countries,
organizations, and the American public to provide
clarity into methods of targeting terrorists, as well as
statistical information from past strikes. While the CIA
is clandestine regarding its operations, the joint special
operations command (JSOC) agency of the DOD
recognizes and accepts accountability for its attacks.
The two different bureaus responsible for drone
airstrikes results in two different oversight methods.
The author then suggests reforming this hierarchy and
supervision to achieve transparency through
declassifying information and plainly identifying
strategies and methods of eliminating terrorists without
the indirect civilian casualties. This would be a catalyst
that leads to other countries publicizing information
about their UAV programs. The author also claims that
the U.S receives negative publicity for drone attacks
from other countries. If the department of defense
assumes operations of the drones campaign, they can
refute the misleading approximations of civilian

when least expected.

The political and legal structure

governing the militarys use of
drones has flaws that can be
improved upon. By allowing one
organization to take control of
guidance and instruction into
the unmanned aerial vehicle
program, the U.S can provide
clarity into its procedures and
end the fictitious speculation
surrounding civilian casualties.

Currier, Corra.
"Everything We Know
So Far About Drone
Strikes." Pro Publica.
N.p., 05 Feb. 2013.
Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Epatko, Larisa. "How

Are Drones Used in the
U.S.?" PBS. PBS, 18 Apr.
2013. Web. 27 Sept.
2015.

casualties from other sources.

Currier discusses a lot of different subjects that are
pertinent to the militarys drone campaign. She starts
by explaining the process and hierarchy for approving
these attacks and missions. The article gives several
different sources that have calculated estimated
civilian casualties. The military conducts operations to
kill a terrorist when capturing him is no longer a
feasible option. The right for a nation to defend itself
and use of military force provides the legal justification
for targeting Al-Qaeda operatives. But these
techniques also cause backlash from foreign nations
where the strikes occur. Middle eastern countries have
rioted in turmoil over frustration with the military using
drones resulting in kill civilians deaths. The website
also presented general information about who, where,
and how the U.S discovers and destroys adversaries.
The CIA and the military collaborate with each other to
execute high level members of the opposition that they
are targeting. Obama has authorized missions that
were more sensitive and impressionable.
Epatko discusses the countless potential uses of
drones. Instead of focusing on how the military utilizes
drones to fight terrorism, this article dissects the
applications that drones present in the United States.
The author defines what a drone is and the regulations
that prevent misuse of this technology. Epatko
identifies the benefits as well as the privacy concerns
of unmanned aerial vehicles. The author gives a broad
and unbiased view of drones. The text includes
references from reputable and well known sources such
as the New York Times, Federal Aviation Administration,
and the American Civil Liberties Union. The purpose of
UAVs outside of the military can be applied to my

There is a hierarchy as well as

laws and regulations in place to
prevent the misuse of drones
and legally justify the militarys
UAV campaign. However, the
CIAs involvement in targeting
terrorists allows the
government to keep operations
covert. The public would have
more support of drones if the
government publicized civilian
casualties that would invalidate
the inflated and incorrect
estimations of other agencies.

There are numerous uses of

unmanned aerial vehicles in the
commercial industry. Innovation
and desire for profit will
motivate entrepreneurs to
create a new industry for
drones. In the future remotely
piloted aircrafts will evolve and
become even more effective
and precise at carrying out
missions. This could lead to
fewer civilian casualties, and a
decrease in manpower for

Swarts, Phillip. "What's

next for Drones?
Swarming, Lasers, and
Wingmen, Military
Leaders Say." Air Force
Times. N.p., Sept. 2015.
Web. Oct. 2015.

Byman, Daniel. "Why

Drones Work: The Case
for Washington's
Weapon of Choice." The

research paper to support my argument for drones.

Drones are used to map forest fires in California,
monitor the border, photograph accident sites, uncover
convicts, transport medical supplies, etc.
Swarts is informing the public on the militarys
innovations as well as the future applications and
advancements of remotely piloted aircrafts (RPA). The
author uses a metaphor to compare the potential of
drone technology to WWI when countries had just
started to utilize aircrafts. The military knew it would
completely revolutionize tactics and strategies of war
but never understood the limits of what they could
achieve. The air force has started to construct smaller
sized drones that would be capable of assisting fighter
pilots on their missions. This unmanned aerial system
(UAS) would be controlled by the pilot for the purpose
of firing extra ammunition at targets and carrying
machinery like radars and sensors that add weight to
the aircraft. The accessory eye in the sky lets the
pilot canvass another aircraft or area from an
undetectable distance. Scientists are even developing
pocket sized drones that could help troops on the
ground to survey a hazardous area or discover the
location of the enemy. Even the weapons that the
drones are carrying will become more precise and
beneficial. Drones could be equipped with high
powered lasers that causes equipment malfunction and
impairs enemy vehicles. It is still important to
emphasize that the human being fight wars and not
robotics.
This article examines the effectiveness of the drone
program in the middle east. UAVs have a tremendous
track record of killing a large number of insurgents.
Terrorist groups have altered their operations as a

terrorist organizations.

As technology evolves, the

capabilities of drones will grow
exponentially allowing the
military to be more accurate
and effective at targeting
terrorists while greatly reducing
civilian and American
casualties. In the future the
military will likely release a
more advanced drone that will
aid the servicemen on the
ground. It seems like warfare
could become revolutionized by
drones. Future battle between
conflicting nations could be
fought with mostly robotics.
The way in which the U.S
government handles its counter
terrorism agency will set the
precedent for other nations that
decide to adopt a drone fleet to
their military arsenal.

Drones are the most efficient

method of destroying enemy
organizations that are plotting
against the U.S. The military

Brookings Institution.
N.p., 17 June 2013.
Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Hudson, Leila, Colin

Owens, and Matt
Flannes. "Drone
Warfare: Blowback from
the New American Way
of War." Drone Warfare:
Blowback from the New
American Way of War.
Middle East Policy
Council, n.d. Web. 13
Oct. 2015.

Salama, Vivian. "Death

From Above: How
American Drone Strikes

result. Drones have made it more difficult for groups to

communicate and train soldiers. It is more convenient
for the U.S to assassinate these rebels rather than
capture and prosecute them in court. This method
prevents the blood shed from more traditional boots
on ground tactics. Even though there is a concern
about civilian casualties, the media blows these
statistics out of proportion and records them
inaccurately. After all, how can an agency differentiate
an innocent civilian from an individual aiding the
terrorists efforts? Even the Pakistani and Yemen
governments secretly support the campaign. However,
the U.S widespread utilization of unmanned aerial
vehicles could lead to other countries creating the
same technology.
This website argues that drones are actually
counterproductive in combating terrorists. UAVs create
anti-American sentiment. This fuels the number of
recruitments by driving frustrated and angry civilians
into these enemy organizations. The authors use
statistics from their sources to explain that the ratio
between total deaths and high value targets executed
does not justify the attacks. The website offers a
historical example of a suicide bombing that occurred
in retaliation to the U.S drone program. The authors
speculate that the increase in suicide bombings can be
attributed to the increase in drone strikes. These drone
strikes are only used because it is more affordable and
allows the government to accept minimal responsibility.
The authors believe that these tactics are detrimental
to the U.S- Pakistan relationship.
The author provides information regarding the effect of
drones on the people in the middle east. This
technology has created a heightened sense of fear and

can accurately kill high level

targets without the collateral
damage of U.S or civilian
casualties. Drones have forced
terrorists to live in fear and
paranoia. Other sources have
misleading civilian casualty
statistics that have generated
concern from human rights
activists. Middle-Eastern
countries and the American
public would be more accepting
of civilian casualties if the U.S
would take
Drones create a negative view
of the United States in the eye
of the middle east public. This
can motivate some individuals
to join the terrorist groups.

The military should take into

account the effects of their
mission on the civilians. Other

Are Devastating
Yemen." Rolling Stone.
N.p., 14 Apr. 2014.
Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

McLean, Wayne.
"Drones Are Cheap,
Soldiers Are Not: A
Cost-benefit Analysis of
War." The
Conversation, 25 June
2014. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.

anxiety. The buzzing from the drones can constantly be

heard from the sky in some areas. This terror has a
huge psychological impact on civilians. One study from
the article concluded that 92% of people surveyed
were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. For
every person killed, there will be hundreds of others
who are effected. This article could be used to support
the blowback theory. This theory states that drones are
counterproductive because they fuel recruitment for
terrorist organization by generating American hatred
and anger.
The author researched and considered the effect of
cost on the militarys use of drones. Throughout
history, armies have always chosen to equip troops
with the cheapest and most effective weapons
possible. Drones are much more affordable than a
traditional jet or fighter plane. Manned aerial systems
also have much higher operating costs than unmanned
drones. Considering that terrorists are attempting to
draw the U.S into a war of attrition, using remotely
piloted aircrafts is more efficient than ground soldiers.
Medical advances allow troops to withstand major
injuries which can increase the militarys healthcare
costs substantially. When the military realized Al
Qaedas strategy of bankrupting the American
economy, drones became the clear solution. During the
Cold War, Russia overspent on stockpiling weapons and
ammunition which had a negative impact on the
economy. Unmanned vehicles are an effective
procedure of cutting costs.

data collection organizations

that have attempted to
measure nonmilitary deaths
released overblown
approximations that likely
contribute to the fear and anger
of Pakistan citizens.

The U.S economy would take a

downturn if the military used
costly troops to fight their war
with ISIS and Al Qaeda. Drones
are the most economical
technique of eliminating
enemies. Because the militarys
adversaries live in isolated and
dispersed regions throughout
the middle east the most cost
effective strategy to prevent
attacks on American soil is to
unmanned aerial planes.

Color Coding Key

Orange: General information on who, where, and how the military uses drones to kill terrorists.
Blue: Information about government structure responsible for monitoring and regulating drone activities.
Green: The future and potential for drones to become more precise at carrying out missions.
Red: The truth about civilian casualties
Purple: Negatives about UAVs
Yellow: Cost advantages