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The Effectiveness of Drone Strikes in Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism Campaigns

Authored by Dr. James Igoe Walsh.

Brief Synopsis

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The United States increasingly relies on unmanned aerial vehicles to target insurgent and terrorist groups around the world. This monograph analyzes the available research and evidence that assesses the political and military consequences of drone strikes. It is not clear if drone strikes have degraded their targets, or that they kill enough civilians to create sizable public backlashes against the United States. Drones are a politically and militarily attractive way to counter insurgents and terrorists, but, paradoxically, this may lead to their use in situations where they are less likely to be effective and where they are difficult to predict consequences.

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Also by the Author/Editor:

The Ethics of Drone Strikes: Does Reducing the Cost of Conflict Encourage War?

View other pubs in the following categories:

Era of Persistent Conflict
Military Change and Transformation
Military Strategy and Policy
21st Century Warfare