The Efficacy and Ethics of U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy - John Brennan

[JDPriestly]

62. Excuses. Excuses. I am not convinced.

These drones are simply another, newer, lethal toy for the military.

The drones make their victims look like -- victims overpowered by the high and mighty. They make the American military look like a bully.

A fight to a surrender humiliates the loser and destroys not just the person but diminishes the appearance of invulnerability of the loser.

Yes. A drone can get rid of a terrible person. (It can also kill innocent people -- collateral damage of the worst kind.)

But it does not defeat the ideas or cause of that person.

With Al Qaeda and terrorists in general, it's the idea, the cause as expressed in its extremist form by the terrorists that needs to be defeated. Killing individual leaders will not kill their ideas or cause. Killing the unarmed can (although it does not always) strengthen their ideas or cause.

There is a big strategic downside to the drones.