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Chris Woods

Sudden Justice: America's Secret Drone Wars (Terrorism and Global Justice) Edition Unstated

by Chris Woods (Author)

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Less than a month after the September 11th attacks, a tiny, CIA-controlled Predator drone flew over Kandahar, searching out the home of the Taliban supreme commander Mullah Mohammed Omar. A lack of understanding of the drone's capabilities combined with a messy chain of command allowed Omar to escape, but the strike on a nearby convoy vehicle became the Predator's first lethal action. Since then, the use of armed drones has become the dominant American way of war.

In Sudden Justice, award-winning investigative journalist Chris Woods explores the secretive history of the United States' use of armed drones and their key role not only on today's battlefields, but also in a covert targeted killing project that has led to the deaths of thousands. The CIA nurtured and developed drones before the War on Terror ever began, seeking a platform from which it could monitor its targets and act lethally and instantly on the intelligence it gathered. Since then, remotely piloted aircraft have played a critical role in America's global counter-terrorism operations and have been deployed to devastating effect in conventional wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Drone crews, analysts, intelligence officials and military commanders all speak frankly to the author about how armed drones revolutionized warfare--and the unexpected costs to some of those involved.

But there is another, secret war--one in which drones scour the skies of Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia in search of militant and terrorist targets. The American government insists that this hidden war is legal. The CIA even claims that its armed drones are "the most precise weapon ever invented," so perfect that civilians are no longer killed. Sudden Justice describes the reality of this secret drone war, one in which hundreds of civilians have died, and the wider strategic interests of the United States may have been jeopardized.

The ability to target its enemies from the safety of headquarters thousands of miles from the battlefield has profound implications for how America conducts its foreign policy, and for how it is seen in the world. As the first book to comprehensively assemble and analyze the facts about the U.S. drone program, Sudden Justice is the essential guide for understanding its implications.

ISBN-10

9780190202590
ISBN-13

978-0190202590
Edition

Edition Unstated
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

May 13, 2015
Language

English
Dimensions

9.3 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches
Print length

416 pages
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"Drones for intelligence gathering and precision attack will feature in every future conflict. Chris Woods has uncovered the extraordinary story of the drone and its controversial use by the US, both on the regular battlefield and in its covert war against terrorism. Essential reading for those who want to see the benefits of this technology realised within international law." --Professor Sir David Omand, King's College London, Chair of the Birmingham Policy Commission on the Security Impact of Drones

"Chris Woods has written a brilliant - indeed, a definitive - study of the evolution of weaponised drone warfare. Woods offers detail never previously released, from insiders in the drone program and in the intelligence community. Most importantly, he examines how the drones' targets - guerrillas, terrorists, and rogue states - have adapted, developed countermeasures, and (in some cases) begun to field their own competing drone programs. Anyone interested in the future of warfare needs to read this book - we have certainly not seen the last of this form of conflict." --David Kilcullen, author of The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One and Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla

"War is, and remains a terrible thing. Sudden Justice affords the reader an informed insight to the world of the UAV and allows them to make a fair judgment, as Hugo Grotius asked of us, on its "moral certainty". What is clear is that this technology is not going away." --Lieutenant General Sir Graeme Lamb KBE, CMG, DSO, former Commander, British Field Army

"[Woods] brings a cool, informed perspective to this ominous topic, confidently examining the Pandora's box of legal, human rights, and governance issues raised by this deceptively simple weapon . . . A clear-eyed and chilling account of warfare's present and future."
--Kirkus Reviews

"The use of armed drones in counter-insurgency operations has divided opinion in the international community and posed significant challenges to established norms of international law. This important book makes a major contribution to that ongoing international debate. Chris Woods has produced the first accessible, balanced and comprehensive analysis of this technological revolution in modern asymmetrical warfare. Through painstakingly detailed research conducted over a number of years, and unprecedented access to many of the key players, he has pieced together an unassailable account which both exposes and explains the haphazard way in which this new weapons platform has changed the nature of armed conflict and expanded the boundaries of the battlefield. The result is a thoughtful and critical narrative which explodes a number of the myths surrounding the use of armed drones." --Ben Emmerson, QC, UN Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism and Human Rights

"Sudden Justice is a must-read. Chris Woods explains with authority and mesmerising detail how the armed drone has emerged to transform modern warfare. The product of three years investigative journalism, Sudden Justice covers the haphazard origins of drone warfare, revolutionary developments in technology and use, and the story of those caught up in the "decision matrix". The book will add significantly to understanding of this hot topic." --Tom Watson MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drones

"There are plenty of books about drone warfare and drone counterterrorism, but none as interesting and comprehensive as Sudden Justice. Chris Woods describes the drone strike program in both the major war zones of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria and in the places, like Yemen and Somalia, where the US has conducted a semi-secret program of more than 500 drone strikes. He also discusses the British and Israeli drone strike programs. Sudden Justice provides interesting new material based on Woods' interviews with officials, former drone pilots and operators. Woods gives us the view from 18,000 feet and on the ground as only a good journalist can - with vivid writing, an eye for important details, and thankfully, an ability to identify the big picture questions." --Neta Crawford, Professor of Political Science, Boston University, and author of Accountability for Killing: Moral Responsibility for Collateral Damage in America's Post-9/11 Wars

"Woods does a devastatingly effective job of illuminating the toll and potential legacy of U.S. use of drones to carry out targeted assassinations. Even readers who keep up with current events are likely to find some eye-openers here." --Publishers Weekly

"[A]s a chronicle of the first drone war, it is more comprehensive than anything else published to date . . . Sudden Justice works best as the harrowing history of a nasty, vindictive conflict between a sophisticated military and intelligence apparatus with unlimited resources and a tenacious enemy with no state and no uniforms." --Bookforum

"[Woods has] made important contributions to a subject that is otherwise mired in secrecy, disinformation and polemical excess . . . His book is perhaps the most comprehensive and scrupulous treatment of the subject . . . for citizens concerned with the political and humanitarian consequences of the drone war, Woods, with his systematic approach, will prove more useful." --In These Times

"Through research and frank interviews with drone pilots and other members of the defense and intelligence communities, Woods offers an exhaustive account of how drones have been used since then, creating a map of this shadowy world . . . for those seeking a holistic look at the strategic, operational, and moral implications of drones, his book hits the target." --National Journal

"To appreciate the immediate history of the drone wars, especially the one in Pakistan, Chris Woods' book Sudden Justice is essential. Woods' massively detailed and well-researched book focuses mainly on the modern history of drones, starting with the development of the Predator drone, the beginnings of the targeted killing program in Yemen and Pakistan, and how former U.S. President George W. Bush used drones in Pakistan."
--Foreign Policy

"[An] informative book based upon much valuable research." --America Magazine

"[Sudden Justice] . . . breaks new ground by focusing on the complex interactions between machines and humans, including operatives, targets and other victims, as well as political defenders and opponents of this burgeoning weapons program."
--Michigan War Studies Review

About the Author

Chris Woods is an investigative journalist who specializes in conflict and national security issues. A former senior BBC Panorama producer, he has authored several investigations into covert U.S. drone strikes and their true effects. He was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Journalism Prize for his work, and lives in London.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0190202599
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Edition Unstated (May 13, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780190202590
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190202590
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.55 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,398,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #446 in History of Military Vehicles
- #1,524 in Terrorism (Books)
- #2,804 in Military Aviation History (Books)

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3.8 14 ratings

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Chris Woods

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I'm a London-based investigative journalist focused on national security and conflicts. My work has taken me to Iraq and Afghanistan, to Syria and Pakistan, and to Israel and Palestine. All of these countries now find themselves at the heart of the remotely piloted revolution in warfare now taking place.

For many years I was a senior producer on the BBC's flagship current affairs shows Panorama and Newsnight. Later I joined the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, where among other projects I worked on the Wikileaks Iraq War Logs. I also set up and ran the award winning Drones team, which has uncovered some of the bigger secrets of the US covert drone war on terror.

Sudden Justice started life as an investigation of the CIA's secret drone wars. Yet it's become so much more, with the book built around in-depth interviews with hundreds of key figures. You'll hear in their own words the pilots and analysts, the intelligence officials, Special Forces and Pentagon commanders. And you'll also hear from those most affected on the ground.

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3.8 out of 5

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Lawprof

I hate to give this book a mediocre rating

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 22, 2015

Verified Purchase

I hate to give this book a mediocre rating. After all, the use of armed drones by the United States (and the UK) is a deeply important public policy issue -- and Chris Woods has worked hard to bring this topic to the public's attention. On the plus side, the book offers some interesting (and troubling) details on specific drone strikes that have probably escaped the attention of most members of the public. It also offers some important quotes from military and diplomatic officials that raise questions about the efficacy of US drone use. But the book is an organizational mess, making it extremely difficult to follow. Chapters are a grab-bag of ideas. Examples are mentioned, then dropped, then bought up again tens of pages later. And arguments about whether drone strikes are legal (under domestic or international law) or moral (under consequentialist or deontological theories) are given short shrift. This reader, at least, came away somewhat better informed, but frustrated nonetheless. The public needs a comprehensive, wise book on drone warfare. This, sadly, isn't it.

12 people found this helpful

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Caitlin Lee

I thought this book was a really good first hack at a strategic discussion of drone warfare ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

I thought this book was a really good first hack at a strategic discussion of drone warfare that just hasn't happened yet. So many books and articles talk about how the US "needs to have a debate" about drone warfare, but they don't move the ball any further than that. I think part of the reason is that it is hard to have a debate about morality and legal issues when the US drone program itself is not well understood. This book actually discusses the breadth and depth of US drone operations and provides a comprehensive timeline for the expansion of US-led drone operations. It is fairly evenhanded as well. Now that we have the facts, it's possible for other authors to start painting a fuller portrait of the moral and legal implications. I think this is a really important book for anyone interested in drone warfare.

3 people found this helpful

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David S.

The author clearly doesn't like drones, but the account is straightforward and well ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

Fascinating account of the use of new technology. The author clearly doesn't like drones, but the account is straightforward and well written.

One person found this helpful

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George Makowiec

Two Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

Short on lots of info. None of that is secret.

One person found this helpful

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paul manson

Great purchase

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 5, 2019

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Great read

Margaret Woods

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 18, 2015

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very well written and clear

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