Drone attacks on American soil, ordered by the government? Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster not only made C-SPAN actually interesting for thirteen hours, but also brought national attention to both the possibility of homeland drone strikes and the power of the executive branch.

The filibuster, which was enacted during the Senate confirmation of John Brennan as the new CIA Director, marked a growing concern among senators about the power of President Obama in terms of drones. Sen. Paul, the son of former presidential candidate Ron Paul, has been applauded for holding a filibuster for his convictions. Brennan was confirmed on March 8 as CIA Director. 

According to Slate Magazine, many foreign governments are involved with drone strikes overseas, which are the only drone strikes used currently. Furthermore, in the US, most anti-terrorist operations are capture-based rather than kill-based. The American government justifies its use of foreign drones by saying that it prevents the deaths of troops overseas. 

Drone strikes themselves have come under criticism due to the "dehumanization" of the act; each targeted strike is done remotely through a computer screen. 

"This is not Dick Cheney we're talking about here," said the president, according to POLITICO, in a private meeting with Democratic senators, regarding his use of drone strikes in comparison to that of the former vice president. Although the administration has released certain memos, not all of them have been released, and some members of intelligence panels have not been allowed to see them. 

Although the filibuster was done and supported by Republican senators, a Pew Research Center poll shows that 68% of Republicans in the US approve of drone strikes. Furthermore, 58% of Democrats also approve of drone strikes. 

 

 

Reach Assistant News Editor Nandini Ruparel here.