232474 Use of Drones in Afghanistan and pakistan

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 4:48 PM - 5:06 PM

Victor W. Sidel, MD , Distinguished University Professor of Social Medicine, Montifiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
     
Predators and Reapers, unmanned aircraft known as “drones,” have been increasingly used by the United States in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are mainly used for surveillance, but have also carried out more than 200 missile and bomb strikes over the last year. Since the start of 2009 the drones in Pakistan, which are controlled by the CIA,. have been used to target civilians alleged to be insurgency leaders, This has been viewed by critics as “targeted assassination,” particularly when carried out by civilian personnel. These actions may violate the laws of the United States. The indiscriminate damage and civilian deaths caused by missiles and bombs violate the humanitarian laws of war. Public health workers should protest these uses of drones.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe public health and human rights issues related to the use of drones. Describe what public health workers can do to address these issues.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am co-editor of War and Public Health, Oxford University Press, 2008
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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