Unfounded Drone Fears -- Michael W. Lewis, Christian Science Monitor
America's use of drones has sparked fears of a new international arms race. But drones are surveillance and counter-terrorism tools; they are not effective weapons of conventional warfare.
Almost since the United States began using the unmanned aerial vehicles known as drones, their use has drawn criticism. The latest criticism, which has received considerable attention in the wake of the drone strike on Anwar Awlaki, is that America's use of drones has sparked a new international arms race.
While it is true that some other nations have begun developing their own unmanned aerial vehicles, the extent of the alarm is unjustified. Much of it rests on myths that are easily dispelled.
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My Comment: The last sentence in this commentary is what caught my attention ....
.... It is important to recognize drones for what they are: slow, relatively low-tech anti-terrorism tools that would be of limited use on most modern battlefields and are particularly unsuited to use by terrorist organizations.
Drones may be slow and low-tech now .... but I suspect that 20 years from now commentaries like Michael Lewis will be singing a different tune.
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