Strategic Assessment

Against the growing challenge posed by sub-state organizations, whose actions regularly endanger uninvolved civilians and consciously ignore the legal regulations and restraints of humanitarian international law, states have resorted increasingly to targeted killing operations that make use of advanced technological capabilities. This article describes the policy of the United States concerning targeted killing in its war on terror. Alongside the operational advantages are political challenges, specifically as they emerge in US-Pakistan relations, and within the framework of the public debate in the United States regarding the targeted killings in Yemen. In addition, the article examines whether there is a connection between US and Israeli operational policies, notwithstanding the fundamental differences between the two countries and their respective conflicts.