PHOTO: Kendall Burchard
By Kendall Burchard
In his first public speaking
engagement since becoming CIA director, John Brennan skillfully tip-toed around
questions involving the CIA's speculated drone program in an informal
discussion at the University of Oklahoma on February 26, 2014. Although
charming, Brennan held fast to his speaking points and remained collected
through tough audience questions.
“For the sake of argument, let’s
say that the CIA has a drone program,” said Brennan to OU President David
Boren, forcing a laugh from the skeptical audience. But not everyone was
laughing. Yemen American student Saba Bingabr, a chemical bioscience sophomore,
is no stranger to the dangers of drones. Bingabr moved to the U.S. a few years
ago, and still travels back to Yemen each summer to visit her mother and
family.
“Sometimes, when I go to Yemen and
I hear airplanes in the air and I just freeze for a moment and I think, ‘Oh, my
god, is it a drone, am I going to die?’” said Bingabr.
Bingabr isn't the only one worried. The first
reported targeted drone strike happened in early 2002, however, public
opposition to drone programs did not manifest themselves until 2012. The
American Civil Liberties Union stated their concern that an increase of the
United States’ drone program would contribute to the creation of a surveillance
society in the U.S. in December 2012. In December 2013, CBS released an
announcement from the Federal Aviation Administration unveiling plans for the
development of six testing sites for unmanned drones within the U.S.
Expansion of the drone program has caused
national protests. The late Ibrahim Mothana, Yemeni activist and New York Times
opinion columnist, expressed his concerns in a June 2012 about the drone
program contributing to an increase in al-Qaeda membership. Bingabr agreed.
“So I understand, yeah, we’ll kill
the terrorists. So what? You killed two, three, terrorists, but in the end, you
enrage thousands of people. When people become angry, they don’t have an
outlet, they don’t have a future,” said Bingabr, “it’s just so easy for
al-Qaeda.”
“Inadvertently, America creates
terrorists,” said Bingabr.
According to Brennan, the benefits of
drone technology outweigh the cost of soldiers on the ground due to the limited
collateral damage. Drone strikes are only authorized if it is with “near
certainty” a target has been located, and no force is to be taken unless there
is a “continuing imminent threat to U.S. lives,” said Brennan.
“Presidents ask the CIA to do tough
things. After 9/11, the CIA was asked to do some very tough things. But what we
try to do is do what we have to do, make sure it is done lawfully, make sure it
is done to the best of our ability,” said Brennan.
Although the true implications and
extent of unmanned drones is yet to be known, some information will at some
time become declassified to the public.
“If John Brennan knows he’s going to answer to history
someday, or David Boren knows he’s going to answer to history someday, there’s
a better opportunity to do it the right way,” said Boren.
Listen as
Saba Bingabr expands on what it’s like to live in Yemen in the age of drones.
AUDIO:
Kendall Burchard, run time :37
