At War | State Department's Drones in Iraq Stir Outrage
State Department's Drones in Iraq Stir Outrage
January 30, 2012 12:01 am January 30, 2012 12:01 am
With American troops gone, the State Department is using unarmed aerial drones in Iraq to help protect the United States Embassy, consulates and personnel, and senior Iraqi officials are calling the program an affront to the country's sovereignty. In an article in Monday's Times, Eric Schmitt and Michael S. Schmidt report on the program and a possible expansion of drone operations by the American government into its diplomatic arm.
The drones are the latest example of the State Department's efforts to take over functions in Iraq that the military used to perform. Some 5,000 private security contractors now protect the embassy's 11,000-person staff, for example, and typically drive around in heavily armored military vehicles.
When embassy personnel move throughout the country, small helicopters buzz over the convoys to provide support in case of an attack. Often, two contractors armed with machine guns are tethered to the outside of the helicopters. The State Department began operating some drones in Iraq last year on a trial basis, and stepped up their use after the last American troops left Iraq in December, taking the military drones with them.
Read the full article and previous articles about United States drone operations.
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