How many innocent Syrian civilians would be killed should the United States launch airstrikes against Syrian government radars, antiaircraft sites and air bases — obvious targets if the White House approved setting up the no-fly zone some members of Congress want? What would be the legal basis for such action?
These questions emerged last week as I listened to a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing devoted to the constitutional and counterterrorism implications of targeted killings by drones — unmanned aircraft. The countries mentioned were Yemen, Pakistan and to some degree Afghanistan.
Syria never became a focus because President Bashar Assad's military has advanced Russian fighter planes and air defense weapons. They make it impossible to use slow-flying drones, which can easily be shot down by relatively low-tech anti-aircraft weapons. The hearing did focus on civilians killed by remotely piloted aircraft and the resultant fear and anger.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.