On the Implications of the Use of Drones in International Law

Abstract

On 23 May 2013, President Obama formally acknowledged that the United States (US) had been taking "lethal, targeted action against al-Qaeda and its associated forces, including with remotely piloted aircraft commonly referred to as drones," and that it intended to continue doing so because these actions were "effective" and "legal."1 When these words were pronounced, it was no secret that the US and other countries were embarked in the research, development and use of these unmanned systems.2 As a matter of fact, it was not the first time that high ranking officials of the US had acknowledged this, though little more was officially disclosed.3 After Obama's words, opacity remains the policy concerning the frequency and scope of the use of drones by either the US or any other power that possesses them.4 Not only has the general public lacked enough information: "Even the other two branches of federal government have reportedly not been fully informed of the details of the program."5 Likewise, there seems to be a clear leap between what official spokespeople and apologetic scholars say on the one hand and what actually happens on the ground on the other [...]