Why did the use of drone strikes increase during the first term of the Obama administration? During his presidential campaign Barrack Obama called for a military withdrawal from Iraq, the end of...Show moreWhy did the use of drone strikes increase during the first term of the Obama administration? During his presidential campaign Barrack Obama called for a military withdrawal from Iraq, the end of torture and indefinite detention of suspected terrorists and the closing of Guantanamo Bay. For these reasons, many believed that Obama intended to end the War on Terror begun by the Bush administration after the attacks on 9/11. Contradicting this expectation, the number of US drone strikes used to counter terrorism increased drastically during Obama's first term as president. This research seeks to identify the causal factors for the proliferation of drone strikes by explaining how it fits into the broader context of the continuation of the War on Terror during Obama’s first term. Firstly, it is argued that Obama was trapped in the War on Terror. Secondly, it is argued that the use of drone strikes increased because the Obama administration sought to reduce public disapproval of War on Terror policies, while continuing war efforts.Show less
