Cyber-warriors generate controversy
Dissent in Antioch about the status of Gentiles was resolved through the intervention of Paul and Barnabas and the elders in Jerusalem. Dissent in the military about the status of a newly created Distinguished Warfare Medal to be awarded to cyber-warriors such as drone operators who never set foot . . .
Dissent in Antioch about the status of Gentiles was resolved through the intervention of Paul and Barnabas and the elders in Jerusalem. Dissent in the military about the status of a newly created Distinguished Warfare Medal to be awarded to cyber-warriors such as drone operators who never set foot in a combat zone was resolved this week through the intervention of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel with the counsel of Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and northern Africa. Over the same time cyber-attacks have become a growing national security threat, with Hagel's predecessor Leon Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.
Panetta had proposed the high-ranking medal for drone operators and cyber-warriors who have a major effect on a military operation, but the decision triggered broad complaints from veterans and lawmakers who said it should not be ranked higher than traditional combat medals such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Critics said the ranking was an injustice to those troops who risked their lives in battle.
On Monday Hagel said that while the department should recognize the extraordinary achievements of cyber-warfare personnel, the award should not be a stand-alone medal. A different form of recognition will be developed.
In related news suggesting that sci-fi style robot wars may soon be upon us, campaigners against “killer robots” saIid machines with the ability to attack targets without any human intervention must be banned before they are developed. The weapons, which could be ready for use within the next 20 years, would breach a moral and ethical boundary that should never be crossed, said Nobel Laureate Joy Williams of the "Campaign To Stop Killer Robots."
Homily hint: It is perhaps no accident that so many blockbuster battle movies feature huge killing machines. Parishioners may be surprised to learn that militaries around the world are hard at work creating just such weapons. Do we allow “cyber stockpiling” to go the way of nuclear stockpiling or do we stop it while there is still time?
Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and northern Africa. Over the same time cyber-attacks have become a growing national security threat, with Hagel's predecessor Leon Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.
Panetta had proposed the high-ranking medal for drone operators and cyber-warriors who have a major effect on a military operation, but the decision triggered broad complaints from veterans and lawmakers who said it should not be ranked higher than traditional combat medals such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Critics said the ranking was an injustice to those troops who risked their lives in battle.
On Monday Hagel said that while the department should recognize the extraordinary achievements of cyber-warfare personnel, the award should not be a stand-alone medal. A different form of recognition will be developed.
In related news suggesting that sci-fi style robot wars may soon be upon us, campaigners against “killer robots” saIid machines with the ability to attack targets without any human intervention must be banned before they are developed. The weapons, which could be ready for use within the next 20 years, would breach a moral and ethical boundary that should never be crossed, said Nobel Laureate Joy Williams of the "Campaign To Stop Killer Robots."
Homily hint: It is perhaps no accident that so many blockbuster battle movies feature huge killing machines. Parishioners may be surprised to learn that militaries around the world are hard at work creating just such weapons. Do we allow “cyber stockpiling” to go the way of nuclear stockpiling or do we stop it while there is still time?
Sources: Articles by Li-mei Hoang for Reuters and Lolitac C. Baldor for the Associated Press