By eliminating the political cost of military casualties, drone warfare has enabled four successive American presidents to expand executive power and wage permanent, undeclared wars around the globe. The United States has carried out tens of thousands of drone and air strikes since launching its first confirmed attack outside a declared war zone in November 2002, killing an estimated 8,871 to 17,274 people across at least five countries according to independent tracking data. Al Jazeera reported in March 2026 that since September 11, 2001, the United States has engaged in three full-scale...
















