The NSA’s Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program

None of it is "seconds", it's all minutes or higher, and there is almost certainly at least a Colonel (20+ years experience), or a General, making the call. Every shoot probably goes through >20 people -- legal, various types of targeting, and technical/tactical "can the shot be made at all". The whole process is designed around getting approval for things like this rapidly. UAVs have many-hour loiter times, vs. combat aircraft which are usually minutes on station (due to fuel, since they're often based far away from the combat).

You can legitimately criticize a lot about the program, but it's not understaffed. At some level the military likes to retain "person in the loop" on things where automation is technically more appropriate, as it's a way to train people for other roles later -- i.e. pilots who eventually become USAF top brass.

My problem is with the over-use of drones in operations where we'd otherwise not get involved (Yemen, etc.). Drones themselves probably centralize decision making with more senior people, and the cost of not taking a shot is just having to wait for the next one, so unless it's a shot in support of a unit already on the ground, theoretically drones will make the military more restrained in the shots it takes. If there are friendly forces on the ground nearby, you end up with things like the "Reuters Journalist/Collateral Murder" situation -- a lower level of evidence to support a military decision than you'd ideally have.

This is all very depressing.

OT: Same picture used in FAZ-article in 2012 [1]. Can you search stockphoto dot com for "Predator drone"?

[1] http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/obamas-drohnenkri...

I'm not sure even George Orwell could've written such a cynical reality.

The Noble Prise winner runs the empire, to stay dominating the world. It is important to keep the War Machine operating and war non-stopping. BTW, do you remember he got the Noble price for withdrawing the troops and closing the Guantanomo base? How can we help this Empire in the Syria and Ukrane? We cannot accomplish the Russia and Iran without taking these countries first. I see that EU supports the Ukranian nazi fighting the kremiln dictator in Ukrane and Syria while defeating the social worker uprisal against privatization and bunkrupcy in Bosnia, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26093160

some of the problem...

Right now I get texts and voice mail from people attempting to contact the former owner of the SIM Identity I have..it happens any time you buy a prepaid phone..sometimes you get a previously owned SIM id..

Guess where this most active as far as buying a prepaid phone?

Developing countries such as Africa and Middle East..

This is a very highly political volatile situation waiting to blow up in a Presidents face.

Its not will it happen but only a matter of when