Letter of the Day: Drone warfare

Drone warfare

EDITOR: Drone warfare is a grievous threat to everyone's civil liberties. Without due process and the Geneva Conventions, any country or armed group will soon be able to secretly attack its own citizens or people in other countries.

In this age of swiftly advancing technology the ability to use drones is bound to spread rapidly. Think how a repressive regime hostile to a particular cause or group of people might act. Nobody will be safe from being threatened or killed. We need a worldwide treaty forbidding drones - just as other treaties outlaw torture, chemical warfare, etc.

It is time for President Barack Obama to renounce this power and instead lead the push for non-proliferation.

Congressional action also is needed. We must try to engage all countries - both friendly and hostile - to outlaw the use of drones. Otherwise we may all need anti-aircraft rockets to protect us against unannounced and unforeseen destruction from the sky. Who will then feel comfortable expressing an unpopular or unorthodox view for fear of reprisal?

This is not a left vs. right issue, not a Republican, Democratic or tea party issue. Drones are one more thing the human race can do without. Period.

HARLAN KANT

Occidental