The ability to kill people remotely, cheaply, and without any risk to your own personnel changes the equation of war completely. For a long time after Vietnam, the US was reluctant to send its troops in harms way. Now that wars can be fought at little cost, and no risk; look for the tempo and pace of US interventions to increase dramatically.
Also look for some enterprising terrorists to turn this around and fly their own RPV's into the White House or the super bowl.
Technology improves and gets cheaper. So how long before terrorists use the same tools to target soldiers, politicians, whoever? Or, why aren't they using radio-controlled aerial vehicles to kill people right now?
Specially with the Saitek and Logitech Keyboards and joysticks.
The fake kill was a bad Photochopp.
> DO you want to see the REAL thing? then head over to: [www.popsci.com]
Then read the article at this month's Popular Science magazine and watch real videos of Predator and Reapers.
See how bad guys blow up and read how the US is struggling to get a 1100 pilot UAV force.
It's the changing face of war.
Very interesting.
Of course, the larger issue is how "terrorist" is defined.
As the ability to deliver lethal force from a distance with lower cost devices, it is logical progression that these systems will be deployed with greater regularity, and the definition of "terrorist" will become broader and broader....
@avi.weiss: what? why? why would our criteria for what defines a terrorist change? We might be shooting more people we already define as terrorists given your assumptions of broader deployments, but it simply does not follow all the sudden we'll loosen our definition of what a "terrorist" is for no apparent reason
@avi.weiss:
Terrorist: A-Hole killing innocent civilians to impose his will.
US Soldier: Defender of Freedom that puts himself in harm's way to protect innocent civilians killed by Terrorists, using a gun to kill at a distance.
UAV Pilot: Defender of Freedom that puts himself in a virtual cockpit 1/2 a world away to protect innocent civilians killed by Terrorists, using a UAV to kill at a distance AND can kiss and tuck his kids good night at the end of the shift.
There is no change in the definition of a *Terrorists*, they will still be a-holes killing innocent civilians.
@aec007: You guys are talking like the US military has not killed innocent civilians (in fact many more than the "actual" terrorists). Sure they don't do it on purpose, but does your well meaning really count when you have killed thousands more civilians than your enemies?
I have every respect for the military in general, but not in this stupid war on terrorism. We have far more effectively terrorized a civilian population than they have terrorized ours, and in doing so we may have created a lot more people wanting to terrorize us.
We are terrorists as much as they are, the only difference is that we have a healthier society than they do and believe we are somehow protecting it with these wars.
We say look how horrible the Lockerbie bombings were and we should never have released that prisoner. But NOBODY mentions the Iranian passenger plane we downed before Lockerbie, or the fact that we gave the crew a medal for it.
I am not supporting terrorism whatsoever, I'm just saying we have no right to say that they are terrorists and we aren't.
@lpranal: Because that is human nature, that is our history, our reality. Remember when the government used to need a warrant to read your emails? Ah, the good old days, before the war on a tactic.
I know a guy who used to do this. He called one day and said he really had to talk to me and that it was important. Later that same night, he was shot while walking to his car in a poorly lit parking garage. It was never covered on the news or anything.
It's a lot easier to just make a body disappear than it is to convince the news to not talk about something after the police are involved. In fact, you WANT the media to paint it as something other than it is. You know, gang violence or a carjacking gone bad.
I'm sorry, I'm not even in the CIA (that you know of) and I could find better ways to get rid of someone than this.
@DustyButtâ„¢: That's so weird cause sometime ago I was out for my weekly nighttime serial murder and decided on some guy in a parking garage (the weather around that area was nice for midnight strolls).
The next day I didn't hear anything about it on the news either!
I've got a friend who does this. He hates it (for the military, not the CIA to the best of my knowledge). Unlike a "real" pilot, the commanders tend to overload the UAV pilots and have them fly consecutive missions. My friend doesn't like it due to the fact when you make a strike you can see the people scattering and getting blown to bits. Not something you get as a jet pilot typically.
@SacGamer: That's because you play video games and don't know what it feels like to take a real life, of a real human, who has just as many real day-to-day problems to deal with as you do.
They're no less human than you are. Their lives are worth no less than yours in the grand scheme of things. The only difference is who dies and who lives at that moment.
@ataturk returns: Anyone who runs is a terrorist. Anyone who doesn't run is a well-trained terrorist.
You know how they kill women and children? It's easy, you don't lead them as much.
Sheesh!
They don't target civilians on purpose, but in any war situation civilian casualties happen. It is an unfortunate fact. And it is partly what makes war in general so horrific.
@Lite: killed Dumbledore: They know that every time they launch civilians will almost certainly be killed. This is not bombers over Germany missing the factory, this is the deliberate killing of civilians. 351 of them in Pakistan alone this year. Oh, but its okay, cause we "didn't really mean it." Yeah, they did.
08/22/09
Also look for some enterprising terrorists to turn this around and fly their own RPV's into the White House or the super bowl.
08/23/09
08/29/09
08/22/09
Don't think for a second they won't use them on us too.
-and they'll be just as clinical.
Enjoy.
08/29/09
08/21/09
08/21/09
08/21/09
08/22/09
Why do they hate us?
08/21/09
I am predator proof.
08/21/09
Specially with the Saitek and Logitech Keyboards and joysticks.
The fake kill was a bad Photochopp.
> DO you want to see the REAL thing? then head over to:
[www.popsci.com]
Then read the article at this month's Popular Science magazine and watch real videos of Predator and Reapers.
See how bad guys blow up and read how the US is struggling to get a 1100 pilot UAV force.
It's the changing face of war.
Very interesting.
08/21/09
RTFA.
08/22/09
Popular Science, that scion of in-depth journalism.
THEY'LL show us all the way!
(I'm likely to be chuckling over THAT one for quite some time.)
08/21/09
08/21/09
As the ability to deliver lethal force from a distance with lower cost devices, it is logical progression that these systems will be deployed with greater regularity, and the definition of "terrorist" will become broader and broader....
08/21/09
08/21/09
Terrorist: A-Hole killing innocent civilians to impose his will.
US Soldier: Defender of Freedom that puts himself in harm's way to protect innocent civilians killed by Terrorists, using a gun to kill at a distance.
UAV Pilot: Defender of Freedom that puts himself in a virtual cockpit 1/2 a world away to protect innocent civilians killed by Terrorists, using a UAV to kill at a distance AND can kiss and tuck his kids good night at the end of the shift.
There is no change in the definition of a *Terrorists*, they will still be a-holes killing innocent civilians.
08/21/09
I have every respect for the military in general, but not in this stupid war on terrorism. We have far more effectively terrorized a civilian population than they have terrorized ours, and in doing so we may have created a lot more people wanting to terrorize us.
We are terrorists as much as they are, the only difference is that we have a healthier society than they do and believe we are somehow protecting it with these wars.
We say look how horrible the Lockerbie bombings were and we should never have released that prisoner. But NOBODY mentions the Iranian passenger plane we downed before Lockerbie, or the fact that we gave the crew a medal for it.
I am not supporting terrorism whatsoever, I'm just saying we have no right to say that they are terrorists and we aren't.
08/22/09
08/22/09
08/21/09
08/21/09
It's a lot easier to just make a body disappear than it is to convince the news to not talk about something after the police are involved. In fact, you WANT the media to paint it as something other than it is. You know, gang violence or a carjacking gone bad.
I'm sorry, I'm not even in the CIA (that you know of) and I could find better ways to get rid of someone than this.
08/21/09
Oh, I'm sorry. You took me seriously.
08/21/09
The next day I didn't hear anything about it on the news either!
08/21/09
08/21/09
08/21/09
Also, these "people" have probably fired upon our soldiers. They deserve it for that alone.
08/21/09
They're no less human than you are. Their lives are worth no less than yours in the grand scheme of things. The only difference is who dies and who lives at that moment.
Stop talking out of your moronic ass.
08/21/09
08/21/09
You know how they kill women and children? It's easy, you don't lead them as much.
Sheesh!
They don't target civilians on purpose, but in any war situation civilian casualties happen. It is an unfortunate fact. And it is partly what makes war in general so horrific.
08/21/09
08/21/09
08/22/09
08/21/09
08/21/09