Drones Are Ethical And Effective | Benjamin Wittes | Oxford Union

Benjamin Wittes gives his argument for the use of drone warfare.
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Benjamin says that there shouldn't be a debate over whether drones should be used in combat, as the answer is obvious. This is less of a debate over killing people but more about the use of an unmanned remotely piloted aircraft.

He says the benefits of having a drone is that they can provide surveillance on a target for long periods of time, something that a plane cannot do. Another benefit is choosing a time, based on video surveillance, for the strike to take place in order to minimise casualties in that area. The ability to harm enemy forces without putting your own at risk.
He mentions that the opposition will talk extensively about civilian casualties but says that with any weapon of war there is always a risk of civilians being caught in the crossfire. He concludes that in some cases the alternative to drones have more capacity to produce more civilian deaths than drones.
Filmed on Thursday 25th April 2013
MOTION: THIS HOUSE BELIEVES DRONE WARFARE IS ETHICAL AND EFFECTIVE

ABOUT BENJAMIN WITTES:
Benjamin Wittes is a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he is the Research Director in Public Law, and Co-Director of the Harvard Law School - Brookings Project on Law and Security. He works principally on issues related to American law and national security.

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