1. IntroductionThe United States is increasingly relying on drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to counter the threat posed by Al-Qaeda and other terrorists, primarily from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq. The emergence of this new technology has sparked widespread debate about the ethical justification for its use in the United States and around the world. There are essentially two distinct camps in the debate, one that supports armed drones as a new and effective form of warfare, while the other criticizes them as problematic. In this article, I will present the arguments from both sides as to why some support the use of drones and others oppose it. I will then present Bradley Strawser's views on drone warfare and explain why I find them compelling. I will anticipate some objections to Strawser's position and demonstrate how Strawser might be able to respond to them.2. The Drone Warfare Debate Drone advocates argue that drones have many advantages over other military weapons in fending off terrorists. First, drones are capable of hitting their targets with the highest precision, helping to prevent the unintentional death of non-combatants. Drones allow the operator to carefully study their targets instead of reacting in the heat of the moment, making strikes more discriminating. The Long War Journal tracked the performance of US drones in Pakistan and the report showed that civilian casualties resulting from drones accounted for only 6% of total casualties. This figure shows that drones kill a lower ratio of civilians to combatants than seen in any war in which other weapons have been used. Second, drones reduce the risks of their own operators and prevent...... middle of paper ...... US drone attacks? by Kenneth Roth. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/apr/04/what-rules-should-govern-us-drone-attacks/ (accessed May 11, 2014). Bradley Jay Strawser, “More Heat Than Light: The Vexing Complexities of the Drone Debate,” The Quarterly Dialogue Advisory Group/3 Quarks Daily Peace and Justice Symposium: Drones, (2013), http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily /2013/02/the-quarterly-dag-3qd-symposium-peace-and-justice-drones.htmlStrawser, Bradley Jay. “Moral Predators: The Duty to Employ Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.” Journal of Military Ethics 9, no. 4 (2010): 342-368. John Fabian Witt, “On Adopting a Posture of Moral Neutrality”, The Quarterly Dialogue Advisory Group/3 Quarks Daily Peace and Justice Symposium: Drones, (2013), http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2013/02/ the-quarterly-dag-3qd-peace-and-justice-symposium-drones.html