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Article supports drones as being an emerging technology. ASSignment1, Part1 Support

Interesting article, It seems to me that this is just another one of those cases about flexing the "muscle" of the Freedom of Information Act. In my opinion it is pretty common knowledge that targeted drone strikes are being used to eliminate enemies; so why is it so important here that the C.I.A. has to acknowledge these attacks? What would that accomplish? The media outlets already report on successful drone strikes and now there are even military medals to recognize drone pilots. http://www.fsunews.com/article/20130318/FSVIEW0303/130317001/New-military-medal-stirs-controversy-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|frontpage|s

I just wonder how long it's going to take before something comes out of these attacks. Using these drones to fly into other countries like Pakistan, and "take out" suspected enemies is pretty borderline in my opinion. If this were to happen in America, we would certainly not stand for it, and would declare war on the country that carried out the action. Pushing the button from California on a drone missle is alot like conducting cyber warfare from one country to another. The damage that can be done is becoming greater and greater every day as technology is starting to tie together national infrastructures. In my opinion, drones are the some of the first of the cyber warfare machines.

Recently uncovered government documents reveal that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) unmanned Predator B drone fleet has been custom designed to identify civilians carrying guns and track cell phone signals. "I am very concerned that this technology will be used against law-abiding American firearms owners," said founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, Alan Gottlieb.

The power these drones represent is incredible. I can easily see how the can (and will be) abused. As Jammes pointed out, the Primary purpose of DHS is securing our nations borders, yet I have read of DHS rading peoples homes because of an "improperly" imported car! Not to sound like I am about to put a tinfoil hat on, but I do see the distinct possibility of the banning of firearms in this country as happened in England in 1997. These tools will be in place well before that day.

The use of Drones in the field as a tool to fight the fight on the borders is one thing, using them as a tool to fight terrorism is still another, but using them as tool to spy on the people of the United States is another. I think this is one that the United States Supreme Court will be deciding soon.

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's ... a drone, and it's watching you. That's what privacy advocates fear from a bill Congress passed this week to make it easier for the government to fly unmanned spy planes in U.S. airspace.

The commentary on that one is pretty heated... As for the article, I could take it or leave it. Working in Law Enforcement, I can definitely see the benefits in having drones in the air (they are sure useful here in Afghanistan...) I also see the argument stating they are a violation of 4th Amendment rights. Really, it is all about how it gets implemented. For instance, they could restrict the drones to prevent them from flying through residential airspace without a Magistrates Authorization, thereby protecting the rights of citizens when they are at home. Outside of home, 4th Amendment rights really don't exist when you are walking under clear skies... there's just no expectation of privacy there.

WASHINGTON - The C.I.A. drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born propagandist for Al Qaeda's rising franchise in Yemen, was one more demonstration of what American officials describe as a cheap, safe and precise tool to eliminate enemies. It was also a sign that the decade-old American campaign against terrorism has reached a turning point.

(TomDispatch) Here's the essence of it: you can trust America's creme de la creme, the most elevated, responsible people, no matter what weapons, what powers, you put in their hands. No need to constantly look over their shoulders.

Great article Samuel, I had wondered about this topic for a while but did not have the chance to actual research the in's and out's. This article has definitely informed me of the issue. Great find!

Sam, Great article. Sometimes people don't always think about the negative side of things. I know about unmanned drones I had not. Thank you for informing us of this.

You might have heard about the "kill list." You've certainly heard about drones. But the details of the U.S. campaign against militants in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia -- a centerpiece of the Obama administration's national security approach - remain shrouded in secrecy. Here's our guide to what we know-and what we don't know.

This was an interesting source that talks about how our adversary can utilized off the shelf programs to defeat the multi-million dollars system of our UAV programs.

This article requires that you login into the UMUC Library in order to view it. It dealt with a more technical aspect of what the UAV is all about it. It contains drawings and addresses some ethical concerns.