The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs MONDAY EVENT: "Drone: Remote Control Warfare" with Prof. Hugh Gusterson
Monday, September 12, 2016 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, City View Room 1957 E Street, NW, 7th Floor Washington, DC
The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs presents
"Drone: Remote Control Warfare" with
Hugh Gusterson.
Hugh Gusterson is Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at George Washington University. He is the author of Nuclear Rites and People of the Bomb: Portraits of America’s Nuclear Complex.
In Drone: Remote Control Warfare, Hugh Gusterson explores the significance of drone warfare from multiple perspectives, drawing on accounts by drone operators, victims of drone attacks, anti-drone activists, human rights activists, international lawyers, journalists, military thinkers, and academic experts.
Gusterson examines the way drone warfare has created commuter warriors and redefined the space of the battlefield. He looks at the paradoxical mix of closeness and distance involved in remote killing: is it easier than killing someone on the physical battlefield if you have to watch onscreen? He suggests a new way of understanding the debate over civilian casualties of drone attacks. He maps "ethical slippage" over time in the Obama administration's targeting practices. And he contrasts Obama administration officials' legal justification of drone attacks with arguments by international lawyers and NGOs.
A reception with light refreshments will follow the discussion. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase.
