The
War First Policy: Expanding Drone Raids
"The president’s top national security advisers have proposed relaxing two rules. First, the targets of kill missions by the military and the CIA, now generally limited to high-level militants deemed to pose a “continuing and imminent threat” to Americans, would be expanded to include foot-soldier jihadists with no special skills or leadership roles. And second, proposed drone attacks and raids would no longer undergo high-level vetting. … The vetting process to approve proposed strikes would also be significantly reduced and removed in some instances. …
The CIA
is also seeking to gain approval to carry out its own covert drone strikes in active war-zones, such as Iraq and Syria … Unlike the military, the CIA is authorized to strike covertly without any acknowledgment. The agency’s operations are conducted in almost complete secrecy, with little congressional oversight and almost no public discussion.
The change in policy is likely to see a drastic escalation in the use of drones and commandoes. Earlier this year, Donald Trump agreed to a Pentagon request to exempt large swaths of
Yemen and
Somalia from the 2013 rules … In August, the president outlined his new Afghanistan strategy,
praising the liberalization of the already heavy use of drones … Central to his address was the
promise to lift restrictions on military operations and "expand authority for American forces." …
The plan, in effect, would deepen American military involvement in nations considered to be beyond combat zones, such as the Philippines and Nigeria, and allow the Pentagon and the CIA to target individuals outside war zones or the “areas outside of active hostilities”, without any due process. It does not seem that the new rules will impose any meaningful geographic or temporal constraints. Actually,
the administration claims extraordinary powers to kill people anywhere in the world. …
America has regularly used armed drones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and elsewhere for a decade and a half. …
the United States is setting a dangerous precedent for other nations. …. it is only a matter of time before non-state actors acquire it. …
Conducting drone strikes in a country against its will could be seen as an act of war. …
In 2016, the US Special forces (SOF)
conducted missions in 138 countries – roughly 70 percent of the nations on the planet. The legality of these operations is also questioned. In July, Special Operations Command chief Army General, Raymond Thomas, said US SOF deployment in Syria violated international law. …
Civilian deaths from drone strikes have fueled anti-American sentiments to hinder US security cooperation with foreign governments. They also fomented anger among local populations … The result could be alienating local populations handing recruitment card to terrorist groups.
The administration
is considering a military proposal that would designate various undeclared battlefields worldwide to be “temporary areas of active hostility,” giving commanders same latitude to launch actions as in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Allowing lower-level commanders to make airstrike decisions in densely populated areas …The US military is still investigating several bombings in Mosul in mid-March that witnesses said killed at least 100 people. …
The policy marks a stark about-face from Trump's campaign declarations that the US can no longer afford to be the world's policeman. …
During the first eight months in office, the number of US troops stationed overseas has been ramped up … Donald Trump has ratcheted up operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia. The US is poised to become more engaged in Libya. Donald Trump has taken a decision to expand the operations in Afghanistan. The president has recently made threats of US military action Venezuela and North Korea.
Wherever you look, there is a mission creep. … The probability of US involvement in a large military conflict that has no relation to the US national security has increased. The world has become less safe. …
being the world’s policeman does not pay. To the contrary, it could one day cost the nation dearly. But the lesson of Vietnam appears to be forgotten today.
At the end of FY 2017 the total government debt in the United States, including federal, state, and local, is expected to be $23.4 trillion. Despite this fact, the country continues to overstretch its military, increase the burden of military expenditure and adopt an aggressive military posture balancing on the brink of getting plunged into a quagmire of another costly long lasting military adventure.
