The purpose of my research essay is to analyze the militarys use of drones in the

middle-east to battle terrorism. There has been a lot of debate about this topic
especially due to the statistics released concerning the number of civilian
casualties. However, after thorough research I concluded that utilizing drones is the
most efficient method for America to eliminate its enemies. My working thesis is two
sentences long; remotely piloted aircrafts are productive and efficient at hindering
the abilities of terrorist organizations, while reducing costs and collateral casualties
of American troops and civilians. Drones have a tremendous potential to become
even more advanced and accurate at completing the militarys objectives. My target
audience for this research paper is the U.S military, government, media, and
general public. It is important that my audience reads this argumentative paper now
because drones have ignited a debate over their legality, morality, and
effectiveness. As the next presidential election approaches, voters should be
attentive to each candidates stance on foreign policy because a change in this
countrys commander-in-chief could impact the United States use of unmanned
aerial vehicles and foreign relations procedures.

Killing machines: Is it right to use drones in the middle-east?

Attention grabber: During a speech regarding the militarys drone procedures,

Obama stated that from the civil war to our struggle against fascism, on
through the long twilight struggle of the Cold War, battlefields have changed
and technology has evolved (The New York Times).
Explain how drones are just another advancement in warfare
technology and how UAVs have changed the battlefield tactics
Establish Kairos, importance, and purpose
There has been a lot of debates over drones and they receive a lot of
attention from the media
The upcoming presidential election affects foreign policy and relations,
therefore possibly altering drone use
Thesis: Remotely piloted aircrafts are productive and efficient at
hindering the abilities of terrorist organizations, while reducing costs
and collateral casualties of American troops and civilians. Drones have
a tremendous potential to become even more advanced and accurate
at completing the militarys objectives.
Body paragraph 1
Explain specifically the strategies of the military in deciding who to target.
How many people have been killed from the attacks?
Detail the effects on terrorist groups
o Inability to communicate, move from place to place, recruit
other members, and lack of stability
o Ineffective leadership due to decapitation strikes
Body paragraph 2
Explain why drones are a very cost effective technique to battle terrorism
Cost per unit, operational cost, and maintenance cost for each drone
on an annual basis

Compare these statistics with the cost per unit, operational cost, and
maintenance cost for a on an annual basis
Al Qaedas goal is to create a war of attrition that is costly to the
American economy and generates American anger. Drones are the
best method of preventing this
Expensive costs associated with soldiers
Body paragraph 3
Explain why and how drones are able to prevent American casualties in our
military as well as the citizens of the U.S and middle eastern countries
It is a key plus for drones that U.S. troops are three times safer from
friendly fire attacks when deployed in war zones covered by drones
compared with traditional warfare. (the San Diego Union Tribune)
During the Gulf War, American casualties totaled 382 in-theater
deaths, of which nearly 62 percent were due to either friendly fire or
other accidents, according to Navy research. However, during the
current age of drones, only 21.5 percent of casualties are classified as
non-hostile, according to Pentagon stats. (San Diego Tribune)
UAVs prevent terrorist from carrying out malicious attacks on U.S
Most efficient method of reducing civilian casualties. You cant avoid
civilian casualties, only minimize them
With unmanned aerial vehicles, soldiers do not have to be physically
present on the battlefield
Body paragraph 4
Refute counterarguments in the drone debate
When it comes to determining the number of civilian casualties, there
are a number of reasons why this data is skewed and very inaccurate
Drones are legal according to international law
Drones are just an example of another technological advancement in
warfare
Other countries have drones and assist the U.S in attempt to target
terrorists
The future and potential of drones
The potential for growth and development of UAV technology can be
compared to the WWI when armies first began to utilize aircrafts. . The
military knew it would completely revolutionize tactics and strategies
of war but never understood the limits of what they could achieve.
The air force has started to construct smaller sized drones that would
be capable of assisting fighter pilots on their missions as well as pocket
sized drones that would accompany ground troops
The military should develop a special court that is responsible that
would expedite in the process of targeting terrorists
Conclusion

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