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Unmanned combat air vehicles--i.e. 'drones'--have become a prominent instrument in US efforts to counter objective (and subjective) cross-border terrorist threats with lethal force. As a result, critical questions abound on the legitimacy of their use. In a series of multidisciplinary essays by scholars with extensive knowledge of international norms, this book explores the question of legitimacy through the conceptual lenses of legality, morality and efficacy, and then closes with the consideration of a policy proposal aimed at incorporating all three indispensable elements. This book seeks to come to grips with the new reality of drone warfare by exploring if it can be used to preserve, rather than eat away at, legitimacy. -- Back cover.

"This interdisciplinary book explores how those who employ terrorist tactics across international borders intend to achieve their strategic goals by targeting a government's legitimacy. Because legitimacy must be bestowed through compliance from below, a shift away from the traditional top-down approach must be undertaken to account for the views of citizens. The spheres of legality, morality and efficacy serve to conceptualize legitimacy as this target of terrorism To explore this hypothesis, the author uses the framework of international law to investigate the case study of the cross-border 'war on terror' launched by the United States. Thus this work represents the conscious integration of two disciplines: international law and political philosophy. Through their integration, we see that civil societies have often turned to the standards of international law to understand and judge the legitimacy of their government's counterterrorism policies reaching across international borders. The end result is that counterterrorism's long-term effectiveness hinges on adopting policies which take into account international obligations based not only in codified legality, but in morality and efficacy as well. As the first element is the modern language of diplomacy and the other two have deep roots in diplomatic relations, this tripartite relationship has direct diplomatic implications. In essence, this is a book about 'legitimate' counterterrorism policy. The author's concept of legitimacy as a target illuminates the need for placing legitimacy at the center of counterterrorism studies, and the book explores its shape and utility as an analytical tool through the application of three intersecting conceptual lenses. This book will be of much interest to students of international law, diplomacy, counter-terrorism, political philosophy, security studies and IR"--

Foreword / Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture -- Introduction : Legal, Moral and Effective Interrogation / Steven J. Barela. Jens David Ohlin -- Defining Torture and the Obligation of Systematic Review in the CAT Treaty / Manfred Nowak, Giuliana Monina -- Personality Disruption as Mental Torture : The CIA, Interrogational Abuse, and the U.S. Torture Act / David Luban, Katherine S. Newell -- The Field of Torture Today : Ten Years On from Torture and Democracy / Darius Rejali -- The HIG Project : The Road to Scientific Research on Interrogation / Mark Fallon, Susan E. Brandon -- Developing Rapport and Trust in the Interrogative Context : An Empirically-Supported Alternative / Laure Brimbal, Steven M. Kleinman, Simon Oleszkiewicz, Christian A. Meissner -- Investigative Interviewing : From England to Norway and Beyond / Ray Bull, -- Asbjørn Rachlew -- Interrogating the Brain: Torture and the Neuroscience of Humane Interrogation / Shane O'Mara -- Professional Standards in the Aftermath of Torture : The Struggles of the American Psychological Association / Stephen Soldz, Steven Reisner -- What Can Be Asked of Interrogators? / Michael Skerker -- Beyond Ethics on the Sly : The Behavioral Sciences & National-Security Interrogation / M. Gregg Bloche -- Cycles of Compulsion : Efficacy and Legality in the History of Israeli Torture Debates and Practice / Karin Loevy -- A Qualified Defense of the Obama Administration's Record on Torture / John T. Parry -- Unmasking the Challenges : Interrogation and International Law / Gloria Gaggioli, Pavle Kilibarda -- Torture, Dignity and the Rule of Law / J.M. Bernstein -- Justifying Too Much : Utilitarianism as a Moral Theory / Bob Brecher -- Reclaiming Bentham on Torture / Steven J. Barela -- Preventing Torture : What Works? / Mark Thomson, Barbara Bernath -- Repairing the Damage from Illegal Acts of State : The Costs of Failed Accountability in the U.S. / Claire Finkelstein, Steve Xenakis -- Drinking from a Poisoned Chalice : A Portrait of the U.S. Military Commissions at Guantánamo / John G. Baker, Mary E. Spears, Katherine S. Newell -- Setting Universal Standards for Non-Coercive Interviews and Associated Safeguards / Juan E. Méndez, Andra Nicolescu -- Afterword : The Corrosive Strategic Legacy of Torture / Alberto Mora