Quote of the Day
- If used in strict compliance with the principles of international humanitarian law, remotely piloted aircraft are capable of reducing the risk of civilian casualties in armed conflict by significantly improving the situational awareness of military commanders.
— From the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson, in a report dated 18 September 2013. There are a ton of interesting (and frustrating) tidbits in there, especially the unsettled nature of much of international law about drone strikes. I also wish him luck in urging the U.S. government to declassify information about its drone program in Pakistan.
It takes ten minutes, I strongly suggest reading the whole thing in full.