On Thursday, March 13th from 4:30 to 6:00 PM in Gowen 1A, the LSJ program will be co-sponsoring a lecture given by professor David Glazier on the legal issues surrounding US’s growing reliance on drone warfare. David Glazier is a professor of law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Previously he served as an officer in the Navy. Among other assignments, he commanded the USS George Philip, served as the Seventh Fleet staff officer responsible for the US Navy-Japan relationship, and the Pacific Fleet officer responsible for the US Navy-PRC relationship. He has published widely on the law of war, US counter-terrorism policies, and the history of US military commissions.
One of the most controversial aspects of the so-called “War on Terror” has been the use of drones to kill suspected terrorists, including U.S. citizens, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Initiated by President Bush and expanded by Obama, the strikes show no signs of ending even after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Although the Obama administration has made a limited effort to justify their legality, there has been no real effort at a comprehensive or balanced legal analysis of drone use in any public forum. This lecture will endeavor to fill that gap, considering relevant legal authority, and constraints, imposed by both international and U.S. domestic law.