American and Pakistani Drone Warfare Relations
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the United States vowed to create new technologies and inspire innovation in the realm of military warfare, and they did just that. Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, have been at the forefront of military innovation since the early 1900’s. It was not until the late 20th century when this type of warfare became more apparent in killing notorious terrorists in the Middle East.
In this article I plan to analyze the relationship between the United States and Pakistan regarding drone warfare and how the U.S. convinced the Pakistani government to use drone warfare within the context of international laws. This will also relate to why the use of drone warfare has been problematic for the government of Pakistan and sparked anti-American sentiment.
According to my research, the United States started using drone air strikes because they have been effective in killing high value terrorist targets without risking soldiers on the ground. Pakistan agreed to the use drone warfare in order to target these individuals inside their nation. This brought out implications regarding Pakistani and American foreign policy because the United States has undermined its government, making the Pakistani people resent their country and the United States. Drone warfare has notoriously been a controversial issue and while the legality of drone air strikes is hard to determine, it is apparent that there are many negative opinions about the use of drone warfare that seem to out way the positive effects.
In summary, I argue that the U.S. needs to pursue their objectives by taking a diplomatic approach towards drone warfare, as this will be the future method used in many countries targeting many individuals. While drones are a viable alternative to risking human life, a diplomatic approach can be more effective given that Pakistan is a leading recipient of United States aid that the general public is unaware of.