ethics

Drones and the Legality and Ethics of War

SWJED — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 13:52:53 +0000

Drones and the Legality and Ethics of War SWJED Thu, 02/20/2020 - 8:52am

The technological advancements that has allowed for the use of drones, has largely sharpened the existing ethical concerns of military conflicts. As the longer loiter times of drones have allowed for more positive identification of targets, so has the demand to ensure targets are appropriately identified. As drones have allowed for minimizing collateral damage, so has the demand for less collateral damaged has increased. In this way, many of the legal and ethical concerns surrounding drones are simply a re-examination of the classical ethical concerns of armed conflict heightened by advanced technology.

Fixing the Problem: Integrating Virtue Ethics into U.S. Special Operations Forces Selection, Education, and Training

SWJED — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:05:50 +0000

Fixing the Problem: Integrating Virtue Ethics into U.S. Special Operations Forces Selection, Education, and Training SWJED Fri, 02/07/2020 - 10:05am

The findings of the recent ethics and culture review maintain a drumbeat that there is not a systemic ethics problem. As the report would have it, Congress and the public are encouraged to believe that the headlines are owed to the actions of a few bad apples. Should we expect and accept these spoiled fruits as an inevitable consequence of a strained force facing deployment after deployment?

If You Ain’t First, You’re Last! Why We Should Cheat

SWJED — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 13:58:33 +0000

If You Ain’t First, You’re Last! Why We Should Cheat SWJED Wed, 12/19/2018 - 8:58am

A short paper on the Kobayashi Maru training exercise employed in the fictional Star Trek universe. A discussion of 3 key takeaways.

Balancing Effectiveness and Ethics in Future Autonomous Weapons

SWJED — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 05:40:30 +0000

Balancing Effectiveness and Ethics in Future Autonomous Weapons

Competing visions of future warfare invariably include some version of robotic fighting machines operating either alongside, or in place of, humans. Each of the world's major powers are pursuing development of such automated killers, each looking to grant their robotic minions varying degrees of autonomy. The decisions made concerning the future employment of such systems are driving today's policymaking and research / development efforts.

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Jus Post Bellum from the Jordanian Perspective: Implications for U.S. Policy Makers

SWJED — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 06:03:32 +0000

Jus Post Bellum from the Jordanian Perspective: Implications for U.S. Policy Makers

This essay seeks to demonstrate key ethical questions that arise as the U.S. continues to counter violent extremism in the Middle East. Ethical questions will be analyzed through the actions of an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism, Jordan.

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Cyber-ia: The Ethical Considerations Behind Syria’s Cyber-War

SWJED — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 10:17:29 +0000

Cyber-ia: The Ethical Considerations Behind Syria’s Cyber-War

This paper explores the complexity surrounding the Syrian Civil War, current legislation that exists regarding cyber-warfare and ethics of cyber-attacks.

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US Security Force Assistance in Africa: Human Rights, Ethics Training a Must

Peter J. Munson — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:30:00 +0000

US Security Force Assistance in Africa: Human Rights, Ethics Training a Must

The Malian army that took over the government in the March 2012 coup was led by a US trained officer, Captain Sanogo. The Malian military continues to exert great influence in the political process in Mali and as they try to expel insurgents that have taken over the northern part of Mali. The Malian army, however, is also accused of human rights abuses that took place during the purge of Sanogo opponents, as well as with enemy combatants. Besides training the leader of the coup, the US military also trained the Malian military for years through the African Contingency Operations Training Assistance program (ACOTA), its predecessor the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI), and other programs.

On 24 January 2013, the US AFRICOM Commander, General Ham, acknowledged the role the US military played in training Malian forces and found the outcome worrying. He said that the focus of US efforts was tactical training but “We didn’t spend, probably, the requisite time focusing on values, ethics and military ethos.”

The US has trained many African militaries on the continent; notably with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) following the UN brokered Liberian peace deal that sent Charles Taylor to exile in Nigeria in 2003. After dismissing the former Liberian military, the US vetted and recruited a new force and drew up a comprehensive training plan in 2005 that included intensive human rights, rule of law, ethics and values training. However, in 2007, after the first class of new Liberian soldiers graduated, US trainers cut out the bulk of these training blocks due to time and cost constraints. US trainers promised to incorporate the training at a later date but were unable to do so.

The only test for the AFL so far was the Fall 2012 deployment under “Operation Restore Hope” to patrol the porous borders with Cote d’Ivoire. Desertion remains a concern as over ten percent of the AFL has quit the force. Frequent stories of AFL soldiers committing crimes are featured in the local Monrovian news, causing concern about the ethics and values of the new Liberian troops.

Another example of a US trained soldier gone bad is President Jammeh in the Gambia, who took power in a 1994 military coup. This has also taken place in Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, and Bolivia. African leaders are rightfully afraid that US training can lead to regime change.

The values and ethics training incorporated in ACOTA training has not prevented abuses by African militaries either. Of the 25 current ACOTA partners, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Ugandan, and Nigerian troops have been accused of atrocities.

Upcoming budget cuts and sequestration will put greater restraints on US military spending and our capabilities in training African forces. If the primary intent of US training is to increase the tactical capabilities in US partners on the continent it is likely that human rights, values, and ethics training will also fall by the wayside in the rapidly approaching lean years. US leaders need to ensure that these essential training modules are reinforced in all US funded training.

Peter J. Munson Wed, 02/06/2013 - 3:30am

The Role of Ethics in the 21st Century Joint Force

Peter J. Munson — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 03:35:29 +0000

The Role of Ethics in the 21st Century Joint Force Peter J. Munson Mon, 08/13/2012 - 11:35pm

To facilitate operational success and to provide clarity for Service members, Joint Force leaders must have clear codes of conduct developed for their organizations.

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