Drones are said to be "the future of war" with the ability to maintain an eye in the sky for days on end. UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) as the Predator, or MQ-1, have the ability to glide above targets for up to 40 hours at a time. Recently UAVs are becoming the go-to for the Obama administration, with drone strikes numbering around 500 since 2008. The strikes, with most occurring over sovereign countries, are becoming controversial because of their lack of approval by said countries, the harm to the civilian population, and the use of drones to target American citizens overseas. These strikes are occurring more often after a push to force the Taliban and the groups associated with them into submission, yet with these strikes, the legality of said strikes are coming into question. Yet, the government and the Obama administration argue that said strikes are within the law and are vital to the war on terror. Drone strikes since 2008 have reportedly occurred in Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and numerous African countries in the current administration's attempts to curb the violence and rise of groups like Al Qaeda and Al Shabab. While there is no international law regarding the altitude of a certain country's airspace, however, the rule of thumb has always been the cruising altitude of commercial jets, or around 30,000 feet. Drones currently operate between 5,000 and 70,000 feet, sometimes well within a countries airspace.(Osborn) These incursions into a countries airspace continue to jeopardize both the drones and the peace between the United States and countries such as Iran and Pakistan. The continued strikes in countries such as Pakistan, with death tolls numbering 50 civilians to 1 "suspected terrorist," not only increase public opposition to the drone program, they also increase tensions in countries vital to the war on terror. Pakistan, and its port city of Karachi, are vital to the war in Afghanistan, with the port serving as a terminus into landlocked Afghanistan.
