Panagiotopoulou 1

Eleni Panagiotopoulou
Professor Beckelhimer
Exploratory Essay
24 September 2014
Are Drone Strikes the Suitable Option for the Global War on Terrorism?
If you have been watching or reading the news within the past few months, you have
probably heard some information about the issue of drone strikes used for the global war on
terrorism in many countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, and recently Syria.
Drones have begun to be used increasingly by the United States, making them the centerpiece of
the United States counterterrorism strategy (Byman). What I have questioned throughout the past
few months is if these drone strikes are actually the most productive option. Many people have
been affected due to the global war on terror, including families, governments, and the countries
as a whole. However, is it moral to engage in strikes that could possibly not be completely
effective? Information about the global war on terror is important to know, not only because it
affects our everyday lives, but because we are living during this war and it is influencing our
overall consciousness.
Throughout the global war on terrorism, which had begun in 2001, there has been an
innumerable amount of people impacted. The United States government has made many
decisions in which they believe are the best option for its citizens. Is it possible that these
options have killed innocent lives in the countries of the Middle East? Are we only thinking
about ourselves? This issue has been brought up many times in news articles discussing this
topic, it has also been under intense debate over the past few years. Terrorist groups such as the
Taliban, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have become reckless, endangering many

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innocent lives, including children in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen,
etc. Were drone strikes the right choice?
Drone strikes have many different effects, both good and bad. On the website, Living
Under Drones, by Tony Jin, I have been able to analyze some questionable damaging effects of
drone strikes. The most significant information that I wanted to know about drones is how many
innocent civilians have been killed due to these strikes? Jin on his website, explained that there
have been Reports that from June 2004 through mid-September 2012, available data indicate
that drone strikes killed 2,562-3,325 people in Pakistan, of whom 474-881 were civilians,
including 176 children. These strikes have also injured an additional 1,228-1,362 individuals
(Jin). These results portray a substantial amount of people being killed or injured. Is the amount
of deaths and injuries enough to proclaim that the drone strikes are deleterious? According to Jin,
the drone strikes not only kill innocent people, but Their presence [also] terrorizes men, women,
and children, giving rise to anxiety and psychological trauma among civilian communities (Jin).
This was something that I was really torn in pondering. Is it worth creating a constant anxiety to
civilians, leaving them with fear on a daily basis? In the novel World War Z, author, Max Brooks
quotes that, Fear is the most valuable commodity in the universe... fear is the most basic
emotion we have (Brooks 55). I know that I would very much dislike a life of being afraid to go
to school, the grocery store, church, etc. if there would be a possibility of a drone strike attack.
However, it is also important for me to think about the danger that the people in countries with
terrorist groups such as the ISIS and the Taliban are already in. In addition, Jin also explained
That the strikes have made the U.S. safer overall is ambiguous at best (Jin). While this is an
opinion, I can see where Jin believes that this is true. In World War Z, the narrator interviews a
man in Ukraine named, Bohdan Taras Kondratiuk. This character explained to the narrator that

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the military had gassed the bridge in order to find out who the zombies were, killing innocent
civilians in order to do this (Brooks 116-121). Just as in World War Z, the drone strikes in the
Middle East provide a benefit because they destroy enemy stations and weapons. Drone strikes
can kill terrorists, while they can also kill innocent civilians. Jins opinion and Brooks novel
makes me wonder if the drones strikes are the right option for the United States.
Additionally, I have also found many advantages to the strikes. In Daniel Bymans
article, "Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington's Weapon of Choice", Byman described
the many benefits of drone strikes. Byman discussed the political advantages of drone strikes,
saying that, In places where terrorists are actively plotting against the United States, drones give
Washington the ability to limit its military commitments abroad while keeping Americans safe
(Byman). Basically, that less military commitments, means fewer problems. We create a
beneficial relationship with other governments as well. As officials in both Pakistan and Yemen
realize, U.S. drone strikes help their governments by targeting common enemies (Byman).
Drone strikes are working to our benefit. The drones have done their job remarkably well: by
killing key leaders and denying terrorists sanctuaries in Pakistan, Yemen, and, to a lesser degree,
Somalia, drones have devastated al Qaeda and associated anti-American militant groups
(Byman). In World War Z, Max Brooks quotes, Americans worship technology. It's an inherent
trait in the national zeitgeist (Brooks 166). The groups of people that are being targeted with the
strikes are terrorists that have been killing innocent civilians, and through drone technology we
have been successful in killing many of them. Drone strikes are also financially advantageous.
They are Done so at little financial cost, at no risk to U.S. forces, and with fewer civilian
casualties than many alternative methods would have caused (Byman). It is not only an
advantage that drones are cheaper than other military tactics, they are also more effective and

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powerful. Drones are significantly more cost effective to purchase, fuel, and maintain than a
passenger or military aircraft. In addition, the human factor liability is eliminated, as they are
controlled electronically.
Ultimately, I believe that the benefits of the drone strikes outweigh the negative effects.
Obviously, there are going to be negative consequences for any military or government program,
and there will always be controversy surrounding them. Nonetheless, when it comes down to it,
it is important to confide in a program that exceeds the negatives, which is what drone strikes do.
Drone strikes in regards to our homeland and national security are very beneficial, they are also
valuable to other countries security as well. Drone strikes assist in taking down terrorist groups
that could be a potential danger to the United States, as well as other countries. Since the global
war on terror, the United States needed something more powerful with more force. By using
drone strikes, we have also been able to keep our troops off the ground in the countries of the
Middle East, ultimately reducing military casualties. Drones have also been proven to help the
United States with spying on terrorist groups. They increase surveillance, reconnaissance, and
general military intelligence. These strikes monitor and eliminate as many enemies as possible.
Drone strikes are not only essential to the United States, they are cost-effective, powerful, and
they get the job done in order to help all impacted by the global war on terror.

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Works Cited
Brooks, Max. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. New York: Crown, 2006. Print.
Byman, Daniel L. "Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington's Weapon of Choice." The
Brookings Institution. N.p., July-Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Sep. 2014.
<http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2013/06/17-drones-obama-weapon-choiceus-counterterrorism-byman>.
Jin, Tony. "Living Under Drones: The Aftermaths of Drone Attacks." Living Under Drones.
Stanford Law School, 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <http://www.livingunderdrones.org/>.