The Central Intelligence Agency is involved in a targeted killing program which the United States Government employs in its war on global terrorism. This program identifies terrorists and those facilitating terrorist activities and initiates lethal...
Is the targeted killing of United States citizens legal? There are two competing models which address the legality of targeted killings: the law-enforcement model and the armed-conflict model. This paper examines arguments for and against each...
On 5 November 2002, an armed Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launched a lethal missile strike, killing Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, a high ranking al-Qaeda member and suspected architect of the USS...
Criticism and condemnation of al-Qaeda that originate from the worldwide Muslim community present the most formidable challenge to its existence and legitimacy as an organization and movement. There is ample literature that questions whether or not...
Mistreatment of civilians not party to a large-scale, violent conflict is not new. The perceived lack of empathy for civilians (historically and presently) points to ambiguities about who the enemy is, rules of engagement, as well as the ongoing...
History illustrates that genocide is a reoccurring phenomenon. A variety of indicators suggest that the potential for the US to deploy military forces to prevent or stop genocide or mass atrocity is increasing. Continued involvement in limited...
Soldiers are untrained for the emotional trauma of killing the enemy in combat. The Army does Soldiers a disservice by not preparing them emotionally for the trauma of combat. Many military officials believe the Army’s training is to make killing...
This monograph discusses the moral factors of warfare as they apply to the tactical pursuit. Throughout Western military history, there have been battles in which a victorious army had the opportunity to pursue, but chose to allow the enemy to...
This monograph discusses the moral factors of warfare as they apply to the tactical pursuit. Throughout Western military history, there have been battles in which a victorious army had the opportunity to pursue, but chose to allow the enemy to...
This monograph explores the non-lethal technologies available to and currently being used by the individual soldier and Marine, and focuses on the impact these technologies have on the individual's ability to apply lethal force when the situation...
Through an executive order, the United States forfeited assassination as an instrument of foreign policy. Many Americans believe that the prohibition limits our flexibility in dealing with national security threats, specifically asymmetric threats...
In the heat of battle the confusion could lead to Soldiers making unethical decisions that could change their future. These Soldiers often come to the decision to take innocent lives in a fit of rage or anger. Soldiers say it is justice while the...
As the United States (US) continues operations to neutralize terrorist activity and prepare its military for future hybrid threats, operations to target enemy leadership, in a counterinsurgency environment, have grown in complexity and importance....
In this author's opinion, the United States Army is not doing enough to prepare combat organizations for the inevitability of casualties. This thesis proposes the following primary research question: How can United States Army combat organizations...
Looks at issues involved with the development of daylight formation bombing, the most pressing being bombing accuracy. Techniques available provide a reasonably high degree of accuracy under conditions of fair visibility, but often factors combine...
Usama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, declared war on the United States in a statement issued in August 1996. With the words, "It is a duty now on every tribe in the Arab Peninsula to fight in the cause of Allah and to cleanse the land from...
This monograph analyzes the common cause of the three incidents, Balangiga, No Gun Ri, and My Lai and discusses implications for the U.S. Army to prevent such incidents from recurring. The Balangiga incident took place in the last quarter of 1901,...
The army is facing serious allegations against U.S. Soldiers slaying innocent civilian on the battlefield. Many military top officials feel that Soldiers would not report killing an innocent civilian during combat operations. In the past few years...
For centuries, armies of the world have fought over all sorts of things. They have fought for territory, riches, freedom, women, livestock, food, and even water. The motivations for fighting have been vast, and one thing is certain: There will...