Drones are grey

Such strikes have also become a contentious issue in the fraught relationship between the US and Pakistan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,visiting the US,called upon the latter to end drone attacks ahead of a meeting with President Obama. Anti-American sentiment among the Pakistani people is high,and the drone strikes are thought to be a contributing factor. Earlier this year,a leaked internal Pakistani document found that the number of civilian casualties was lower than claimed by Pakistani politicians but still higher than that admitted by the US government.

Part of the problem is that US claims on the accuracy of its attacks are difficult to verify. The drone programme is shrouded in secrecy and,despite intense pressure,the White House has resisted outlining legal guidelines for when and how drone strikes can be conducted. That military technologies like drones carry a moral hazard is well documented. Its important,then,to put a human face to the costs of waging a virtual war by,for instance,hearing the stories of those affected by such strikes.