Drone strikes have been a critical part of the US’ war against terrorist and insurgent groups since they began operating as spy planes in 2001. They are able to quietly observe an individual, group or location for hours, and take action immediately should the opportunity present itself – all without ever putting a pilot at risk. They have been incredibly effective, decimating al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and disrupting the operations of many other militant groups. But they have also been incredibly controversial and often fail to hit their actual targets. Using drones to carry out targeted killings is an extremely difficult thing to get right. As a result, the civilian deaths caused by these attacks continue to rise.

The use of drones for targeted killings massively expanded under President Obama. He used the authority given to him by the 9/11 Commission to develop what is now known as a “kill list” and conduct hundreds of drone strikes. This essentially made him the judge and executioner in these cases, as there was little to no judicial or legislative oversight of his decisions.

One of the most disturbing aspects of drone strikes is that they can be so easily manipulated by local informants seeking money or revenge, as well as by those who are simply trying to settle feuds. For example, a Pakistani anthropologist found that “tribesmen with agnatic rivalry on their minds seemed to be playing their own devious games with the drones,” sometimes fingering innocents in order to receive bounties and thereby get the upper hand.