Al-Qaeda operatives and Taliban fighters like Abu Omar are the target of the CIA's drone campaign. Ethan Miller / Getty

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs (Apr. 28, 2010)

“The Rise of the Drones II: Examining the Legality of Unmanned Targeting”

On Wednesday, April 28, 2010 the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled, “The Rise of the Drones II: Examining the Legality of Unmanned Targeting.” The hearing examined the legal issues surrounding the use of unmanned weapons systems for targeting individuals as part of our current overseas contingency operations. The witnesses discussed the requirements and application of both international and domestic laws under various combat circumstances, the consequences of using civilians or military personnel to operate unmanned weapons, the considerations involved with targeting American citizens, and future legal and policy considerations . This hearing expanded on testimony received during the Subcommittee’s first hearing on this topic on March 23, 2010 entitled, “Rise of the Drones: Unmanned Systems and the Future of War.”

Witnesses List

• Professor Kenneth Anderson, Professor, Washington College of Law, American Univeristy;
• Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, Professor, University of Notre Dame Law School;
• Professor David Glazier, Professor, Loyola Law School Los Angeles; and
• Professor William Banks, Professor, Syracuse University College of Law.

Documents and Links

Opening Statement of Chairman John F. Tierney

Written Testimony of Professor Kenneth Anderson

Written Testimony of Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell

Written Testimony of Professor David Glazier

Written Testimony of Professor William Banks

Statement for the Record of the American Civil Liberties Union

Tags: Predator Drones

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