Time to end our Predator strikes?

[myboynoah]

They seem to be a catalyst for terrorist action against our people in the field as well as citizens back home.

[oxcoug]

I had the same thought but

They seem to be a catalyst for terrorist action against our people in the field as well as citizens back home.

I'm not sure it follows - the radical culture of grievance is fed from so many sources some of which we control most of which we don't. I just don't believe that you can switch it off by ending drone attacks.

That doesn't mean that I think the drone attacks are right - only that I don't think you're actually going to achieve a reduction in terrorism against Americans and the US by ending them.

[Indy Coug]

They seem to be a catalyst for terrorist action against our people in the field as well as citizens back home.

Your implied point is that absent the predator strikes, no motivation would exist to lash out against America. I don't think you seriously think it really makes a difference. If it's not predator strikes, it's our support for Israel or it's our military presence in the land of the Holy Shrines or it's for what we did in Iraq or it's for making a person like Paris Hilton a celebrity.

Six of one, a half dozen of the other.

[wuapinmon]

I see the Predator strikes as a key component of our military efforts in nations where ground operations are impossible physically or politically. I would much rather risk a drone than someone's sons.

[RobinFinderson]

Your implied point is that absent the predator strikes, no motivation would exist to lash out against America. I don't think you seriously think it really makes a difference. If it's not predator strikes, it's our support for Israel or it's our military presence in the land of the Holy Shrines or it's for what we did in Iraq or it's for making a person like Paris Hilton a celebrity.

Six of one, a half dozen of the other.

that isn't the implied point. The real implied point is that predator strikes disproprtionately stoke anti-American feelings. The question, which I think is a good one, is whether sudden and unexpected bombs from the heavens distress local populations differently than other military actions. I suspect the answer to that question would be closely related to the potential of strikes to cause collatoral damage.

Also, to wuap's point, he is obviously primarily concerned about risking soldier's lives, because predators do kill a lot of innocents.

[Indy Coug]

Also, to wuap's point, he is obviously primarily concerned about risking soldier's lives, because predators do kill a lot of innocents.

Is there any study which demonstrates that collateral damage from predators is significantly higher than from ground troops and manned aircraft?

[RobinFinderson]

Is there any study which demonstrates that collateral damage from predators is significantly higher than from ground troops and manned aircraft?

I would hope such studies exist, as part of military science. I'm also pretty sure that those studies won't be seen outside of military circles until after these tactics and technology are obsolete.