Killing without Heart

Limits on Robotic Warfare in an Age of Persistent Conflict

The days of large force-on-force engagements with conventional fielded armies are seemingly gone. TodayÆs persistent conflict, conducted among civilian populations and fought by small bands of combatants, will be remembered for this alteration in the tapestry of war and for the first large-scale use of unmanned vehicles. According to M. Shane Riza, this ôwar among the peopleö and the trend toward robotic warfare has outpaced deliberate thought and debate about the deep moral issues affecting justice and the warrior spirit.