ABSTRACT
In the early years of the Global War on Terror (GWOT), undertaken by the George W. Bush administration in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the targeted killing of terrorist suspects in unoccupied lands using unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), or lethal drones, was a covert and exceptional practice. By early 2016, the governments of nearly 90 countries had unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and at least 19 countries had or were about to obtain UCAVs. Lethal drones not only provide militaries with the means to fight wars without sacrificing soldiers, they also empower leaders to be able to wage what are characterized as "wars" in countries which otherwise would not have been invaded. As more and more countries acquire the means to dispatch human beings by remote-control, and elect to do so in the homeland, the broader cultural and political costs of this technology may finally come to light.
