"Costless" War: American and Pakistani Reactions to the U.S. Drone War

摘要

Since 2004, the CIA has conducted approximately 290 known strikes in Pakistan’s remote Waziristan region, using robotic planes known as “drones ” to carry out missions. Targeted against militant strongholds along the Afghani border, this covert effort has successfully eliminated key Taliban leaders, such as infamous terrorist Baitullah Mehsud in 2009. In addition to its success in targeting military enemies, drone technology eliminates all risk to American military personnel. As a result, the American political and popular response has been largely positive, and the program has continued to escalate. However, U.S. policymakers have failed to recognize the Pakistani reaction to drone warfare, which has been overwhelmingly hostile. This paper will analyze how the psychological nature of drone warfare—on both American attackers and Pakistani victims—has shaped the development and results of drone strikes in Pakistan. It will discuss the disparity between Americans ’ view of drones as riskless and humane and Pakistanis ’ belief that they are dishonorable and cruel. The paper suggests that drone warfare is radicalizing and destabilizing on Pakistani society.