Adverse effects of drone strikes
Posted by Tommy Francis
Although the United States considers the use of drone technology as an effective instrument in the war against Al Qaeda as well as Taliban militants, it has caused irreparable loss in form of civilian casualties and resulted into massive hatred against America.
The Drone raids by CIA have led to huge disruptions and widespread criticism from human rights groups and other members of international community. They term the use of unmanned technology as inhuman and against international law, which bound the world states to respect each other’s claims of inherent freedom of self-determination and sovereignty.
The US led drone strikes by predator and reaper aircraft armed with Hellfire missiles have resulted into unknown number of civilian casualties, prompting accusations of extrajudicial killings in the darkness with no oversight by legal proceedings. They have not only harmed the image of America but also causing damage to the war on terror.
Reportedly between 2,627 and 3,457 people have been killed by the US drones in Pakistan since 2004, including between 475 and nearly 900 civilians, according to London based Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
Though the United States repeatedly justified the use of unmanned aircraft in its war against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, but the covert strikes have caused intensified feelings of hatred among the masses of the respective countries, which is turning into extremism.
Contrary to the US claims of effectiveness of drone attacks in assassinating the high-profile Al Qaeda and Taliban figures in Pakistan or elsewhere, these attacks have provoked militants to speed up their activities to avenge the killings of their colleagues or commanders killed in these strikes. Hence they carry out more targets on security forces and against the governments’ installations in their respective countries.
Besides the use of unmanned Robotic aircraft is causing violations of sovereignty and creating law and order situation for the governments of the respective countries in the form of public protests and increasing attacks on the governments’ installations. That’s why the Pakistani Government always pointed towards the adverse effects of drone strikes however, Washington believed them a vital weapon in the war against terror.
According to retired General Stanley McChrystal, who authored the US counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan, the aerial reconnaissance and attack drones have had a liberating effect on the US military forces but they are deeply hated by many people and their overuse could jeopardize Washington’s broader objectives, adding the resentment created by the American use of unmanned strikes is much greater than the average American appreciates, as reported.
The Washington heavy reliance on drones to wage war against Al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan, Afghanistan or elsewhere has provoked the questions about the use of the aircraft and the legality of targeted killings as they are undertaken in the shadows with no legal procedure by any court or other law makers.
The covert CIA drone raids have created a lot of problems for the governments of the above mentioned states as they have to pay for the damages caused by these strikes in the form of increasing law and order situation. Besides the strikes have created a lot of inconvenience among the masses not only those directly experiencing the same but also by the people who have not seen them. Therefore, its use should be abolished as inhuman and against international law.
(Miangul Abdullah)
