Striking Remotely: Predator Drones

Striking Remotely: Predator Drones
Wednesday, 14 April; 6:30 pm

“The only game in town.” — Leon Panetta, CIA director, May 2009

Predator drones were initially developed for unmanned aerial reconnaissance. They are now the go-to weapon used against al-Qaeda and the Taliban for targeted assassinations in Pakistan and Afghanistan by the CIA. This controversial program has reportedly been successful, but has also generated anti-American sentiment in those countries. How does the program work—both technically and politically? Why is the CIA tasked with managing this program from the U.S.? What is the chain of command? What is the legal/moral status of targeted assassinations? And what is the cost to the U.S. image from “human collateral damage” with this program? Join distinguished panelists for a provocative exploration of the covert drone program: Peter Bergen, senior research fellow, American Strategy Program, co-director, Counterterrorism Strategy Initiative at the New America Foundation, and co-author of a October 2009 analysis of drone strikes in Pakistan; Bruce Riedel, senior fellow, foreign policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, former CIA officer, and advisor to the Obama Administration; and Tom Parker, policy director, (Counter)Terrorism and Human Rights, Amnesty International USA.

Tickets: $12.50 per person • Members of The Spy Ring® (Join Today!): $10 per person

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