- Entry No. 5 (Gregory). Manar Daoud Barghouti

In his article  “From a View to a Kill: Drones and late modern War” Derek Gregory discusses the use of drones as a method to achieve « the perfect war » according to western nations that is, mainly the US, UK and Canada, creating a new type of what they believe is a precise warfare, eliminating only specific targets without harming civilians. Gregory argues against the defenses of using such a war technology from various points, one is that it alienates the soldier from « his » victims, second is that of its « surgical precision » since many civilians have been a target of drone attacks and finally the hatred such attacks build within a society and what it leads them to become. 

The main argument against the use of drones as a warfare technology, which seems to be a view shared world wide since the Vietnam War, is the harm of civilians in large numbers and in most of the times rather than eliminating the « target » , as mentioned above Gregory points out the lack of « surgical precision » offering examples such as that of the Khud village attack in Afgahanistan 2010 which resulted in the killing of many civilians. Indeed, there has been a blatant abuse of drones by the United States in past years, despite a proclaimed aversion by current liberal leaders. Drone attacks, initiated by « President George W. Bush in 2004… by the end of 2008 there had been 46 strikes directed at killing so-called ‘High Value Targets’. The attacks were ramped up by Obama, and by the end of 2010 »

The « Faceless war » as he quotes, moving on to his second criticism against the relationship between the targets and the pilots. The power given to those soldiers to aim and shoot, raises a sense of empowerment within them, creating emotionless monsters, and on the other end of the war « the targeted, the victims » are increasingly growing hatred and the want to revenge. In such a way, drone attacks are simply a catalyst for the development of terrorists- people who have had their families, homes and hopes taken from them. Just because this new era of warfare does not include sending in troops does not lessen the negative impacts upon society and the world.