The ‘Drone War’ Expands

[marmar]

from Consortium News:



The ‘Drone War’ Expands
April 28, 2012

Military technology continues to spill over into domestic law enforcement as unmanned drones – used to hunt down and kill suspected “militants” abroad – are now touted as the latest tool for monitoring Americans, a development that has drawn scant attention, writes Danny Schechter.

By Danny Schechter


It’s easy to understand why Presidents, politicians and the military love robots. They don’t talk back. They follow orders. You press a button and they do what they are told. They are considered so efficient, and so lethal. These modern killing machines represent science fiction reborn as science “faction.”

Robots and drones don’t burn Korans or pose with the heads of their captives on the battlefield. (Robots also don’t protest wars.) Lose the human factor and you get silent but deadly total destruction. These new toys are used both for surveillance and targeted assassinations.

And that’s why drone warfare has become such a weapon of choice. You have video-game jockeys sitting on their asses in front of consoles of digital displays at an Air Force base outside Las Vegas, targeting suspected terrorists in Afghanistan. After a couple of quick kills, they take the rest of the day off. It’s only later, that we get the reports of civilians decimated as collateral damage.

Oops! ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/04/28/the-drone-war-expands/

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[tech3149]

2. As an aeromodeler I take great interest in the subject

The last few years were a hotbed of discussion because the FAA was considering further limitations on our use of the airspace.
We had already been fairly constrained.line of sight, altitude restrictions, only flying from designated sights, weight restrictions, etc.
The only potential problems on use of airspace were fellow modelers who also flew full scale to show off but still within flight restrictions.
The first and most immediate problem I have with drones is that they are never, I repeat NEVER as reliable as you are led to believe. Every technical system can and will be pushed beyond its limits. Seen it and done it a thousand times but the chance of damage or injury is almost unmeasurable when done in a confined and unpopulated area. Being put to use anywhere and everywhere in the country will make failure and damage virtually inevitable.
Drones will not be used exclusively in unpopulated areas. Their efficacy is based on being able to monitor populated areas or covering great distances in unpopulated areas.

Beyond the risk imposed by wide usage for potential damage and injury, there is the much more serious problem utilizing the technology for aggressive and potentially lethal actions.
There is pretty much no way you can avoid the harm to innocents. You can have the best quality HD video with the best quality lenses but can you really rely on the human intelligence that determines your target?
Then there is the risk of removing the operators and command from having to deal with the results of their actions. After WW2 and Korea many who flew the bombing missions had years of self condemnation about the thousands of innocent people they put to their end.
I couldn't do it and I wouldn't wish it on another.

AMA #753955

[yortsed snacilbuper]

3. Drone strike kills four suspected militants in Pakistan!

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed four suspected militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border on Sunday, intelligence officials and witnesses said, the first strike in almost a month.

http://news.yahoo.com/drone-strike-kills-four-suspected-militants-pakistan-141418061.html