Weigh in on the Predator War

On the Small Wars Journal Web site, Dr. Amitai Etzioni of The George Washington University has been soliciting comments about the tradeoff between the benefits of drone usage and the potential for collateral damage. Dr. Etzioni points to his article, “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The Moral and Legal Case,” which appears in the April issue of Joint Force Quarterly, as a refutation of arguments against drone usage made by Jane Mayer in the October 26, 2009, issue of The New Yorker.

Where do you stand on this?

Countering WMD in the 2010 QDR

Last year, the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) at the National Defense University (NDU) produced an assessment of the Government’s readiness to prevent and manage major WMD events [Are We Prepared?]. In the following Proceedings, CSWMD Senior Researcher John P. Caves, Jr., uses that assessment as a yardstick to measure how the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review addresses the shortcomings he and his colleagues identified, where he feels that it fails to adequately address those shortcomings, and how the 2010 version resembles or departs from its 2006 predecessor. The Proceedings are a transcript of comments that Caves delivered at QDR 2010: Implementing the New Path for America’s Defense, a symposium held last week at NDU.

Click here to view the PDF.

The Moral and Legal Case for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

As the U.S. Air Force grapples with how to institutionally acknowledge the status of Airmen who pilot unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) such as the Predator and Reaper, the systems are being used more frequently and to great effect in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The increase in the systems’ employment is apparent in an interactive graphic representation of UAS strikes in Pakistan from 2004 to 2010, created by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann at the New America Foundation. Using what they consider to be trusted open media sources, the researchers compiled data on the dates and locations of strikes, names of personnel who were the assumed targets, and known or estimated casualties. Several high-level al Qaeda and Taliban leaders reportedly have been killed by UAS in Pakistan in recent weeks, and clicking on the graphic will bring up some recognizable and infamous names.

Despite their apparent utility, however, the employment of UAS has prompted ethical questions. In the forthcoming issue of Joint Force Quarterly (Issue 57, April 2010), Professor Amitai Etzioni makes the moral and legal case for their use.

Click here to read the Etzioni article.

Operational Control in Afghanistan

On Thursday, General David Petraeus announced that he was broadening General Stanley McChrystal’s authority over U.S. forces in Afghanistan to an extent unprecedented for commanders in that country. General McChrystal has now gained operational control over some forces that were previously outside his purview as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, including Marine elements and Special Operations forces.

Author Charles T. Berry, Jr., brings some clarity to the meaning of operational control and the derivation of its authority in relation to joint doctrine in his article “Understanding OPCON” in the April issue of Joint Force Quarterly.

Read his article here: http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/images/jfq-57/berry.pdf.

Strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency: How the Nuclear Watchdog Can Regain Its Bark

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest assessment of Iran’s nuclear activities—the first issued under new Director-General Yukiya Amano—suggests for the first time that Tehran had either resumed work on a nuclear warhead or had never stopped doing so 3 years ago, as thought by U.S. intelligence agencies. The report, considered more strongly worded and forthright than any issued under Amano’s predecessor, Mohamed ElBaradei, is being called “misleading” and “unbalanced” by Tehran.

As the nuclear environment becomes more heated, the IAEA’s role becomes more critical. In the following Strategic Forum, Ambassador Gregory Schulte points out several actions the agency must take to regain the clout it needs to be a prime mover in this environment: its verification capability must be strengthened; it must continue to shape the global growth of safe, secure nuclear power; it must be willing to confront difficult topics with the goal of consensus; and its technical mandate must be restored by Director-General Amano.

Click here to read the Strategic Forum No. 253

DOD Releases Policy for Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities

The following News Release was posted to the U.S. Department of Defense Web site on February 26, 2010.

---

Today the Department of Defense released a policy memorandum regarding the safe and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) and other interactive Web 2.0 applications.

The memorandum makes it policy that the DoD non-classified network be configured to provide access to Internet-based capabilities across all DoD components. Commanders at all levels and heads of DoD components will continue to defend against malicious activity on military information networks, deny access to prohibited content sites (e.g., gambling, pornography, hate-crime related activities), and take immediate and commensurate actions, as required, to safeguard missions (e.g., temporarily limiting access to the Internet to preserve operations security or to address bandwidth constraints).

The directive is consistent with the increased security measures that the Department has taken to secure its networks and reinforces existing regulations related to ethics, operations security, and privacy.

“This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st Century Internet tools,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III.

Use of Internet-based capabilities, including SNS, have become integral tools for operating and collaborating across the DoD and with the general public. Establishing a DoD-wide policy ensures consistency and allows for full integration of these tools and capabilities.

The new policy memorandum is available at: http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/DTM%2009-026.pdf.