Twenty years after the tragic events on September 11, 2001, debate persists surrounding the efficacy of U.S. counterterrorism tactics. Some question whether languishing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and civilian casualties from drone strikes abroad contribute to the conditions and narratives that nourish–rather than extinguish–violent extremism. For instance, Faisal Shahzad justified his attempt to bomb Time Square as retribution for U.S. drone warfare in Pakistan. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen are responsible for thousands of civilian deaths–including children. What reforms are needed? Our experts discuss.
Resources
- A Social Justice Summit Participant Handbook
- Presentation: Dr. Anouk S. Rigterink
- Obama's Weak Defense of His Record on Drone Killings | The Atlantic, December 23, 2016
- Unmanned: America's Drone Wars, accessible free of cost
- ABA Policy Summit Yields Recommendations for Racial Equity and Social Justice