U.N. Official: Drone Use May Cause ‘PlayStation Mentality’

What effects might killing by remote, as American soldiers who control drones from afar are charged with doing, have on operators’ mind-sets? One U.N. official is worried that this U.S.-led trend may give practitioners a “PlayStation mentality to killing.”  —KA

BBC:

Philip Alston said that the US in particular was doing damage to rules designed to protect the right of life.

Mr Alston, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, feared a “PlayStation” mentality could develop.

His report to the UN Human Rights Council will also bring renewed scrutiny of Israel and Russia.

Both nations are also reported to have carried out targeted killings of alleged militants and insurgents. President Barack Obama has increased the use of Predator drones to attack militants in Pakistan.

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Wikimedia Commons / Brigadier Lance Mans

Unmanned death from above: A Predator drone fires a Hellfire missile in this U.S. government photo.