Predatory Instincts

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs -- known prosaically as drones -- occupy a special, largely unexplored, space in the public, media and military imaginations. To their supporters, drones are hailed as the greatest weapon in the counter-terrorism arsenal. To their detractors, drones are responsible for unacceptable civilian casualties and challenge the rules of engagement. Drones are said to offer unparalleled accuracy and lethality in targeting insurgents and terrorists, especially in remote, inaccessible areas such as the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands, Yemen and Somalia, and to do so without endangering their controllers located thousands of miles away, they also have many ancillary uses: in policing, surveillance of public events, disaster relief and search and rescue operations. At the same time, their military utility and their legality have generated intense debate. Predatory Instincts discusses the impact that the increasing rate of attacks is having upon local populations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Somalia and Yemen. The use of drones is of increasing importance in the light of current American and British counterinsurgency strategy that places a premium on a 'light footprint' and avoiding collateral damage to non-combatants. Civilian casualties remain a point of division, exacerbating tensions in these regions, while it has been reported that President Obama has stepped up the use of drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to continue offensive operations against Al Qaeda and its allies. Circumstantial evidence suggests that terrorists and insurgents are intimidated by the threat posed by UAVs, and alter their behaviour accordingly, yet is this short term benefit being outweighed by the anger and resentment generated by civilian deaths? These and other questions are scrutinised in this highly topical assessment of the application of a new military technology that may one day be deployed in Europe and America.