Civilian Intelligence Agencies and the Use of Armed Drones

Abstract

Drones have been credited with eliminating senior leaders of the Taliban and other insurgent groups, and accounts of the recent addition of an American citizen to the target list have received widespread attention. These reports have raised serious questions about whether targeted killing and drone use comport with the relevant international and domestic laws. Tierney J, Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Opening Statement, Hearing on ‘Rise of the Drones II: Examining the Legality of Unmanned Targeting’, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, US House of Representatives (2010), http://oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4903&Itemid=30. © 2010, T.M.C. Asser Instituut and the Authors. All rights reserved.