Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor)
I am the student mentor for this course, I am here to welcome your comments and to assist you with any questions/queries you may have.
Location Bath, United Kingdom
Activity
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@MichaelM. It is also not the only incident to have negative repercussions on the reputation of PMCs.
Some might argue, however, that it can be unfair to highlight these, in contrast to so many other operations that have been completed without any incidents.
In most of the cases, the people has taken issue with the fact that these PMCs are "private", and... -
@RAJWANTSANDHU Yes you are right. The main point is to give an example on how politicians of other countries have politicse the drone issue to garner domestic support.
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@MichaelM. The root problem, it seems, is this "anti-West sentiment". What is the root? And how can it be solved? Scholars have been pondering this question for a long time
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Interesting point. As a matter of fact, the topic of "intervention" is a highly discussed one, there are strong arguments on both sides regarding the causes & consequences of such interventions.
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) replied to Michael M.
Good point. So often we have witnessed conflicts that have dragged so long without any clear end..
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This is a nice overview of what we have learned the past few weeks. What are your main takeaways?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Do you think that weapons system should be completely automated? Or should a human element still remain on the trigger no matter the advancement of technology?
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While the links and references were about 2014, what do you think has or has not changed since then?
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Feel free to conduct your own research and share any other cases on the use of Special Forces :)
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Referring to the recent cases of the Russian-Ukraine war, what can you observe in relations to the above questions?
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What do you think about the Western Intervention in Libya?
How about other cases of interventions? Are there any similarities or differences? -
Please continue to Part 2 for discussion :)
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
In this case study, US use of PMCs and UK use of Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were discussed respectively.
Feel free to check the links below for the various perspectives on RCW, and let us know your thought on them by commenting below.
Additional Useful Links:
The Blackwater Shooting (2007) | The New York...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
On US drone operations in Pakistan, Dr Aslam pointed out some prominent issues.
Firstly, the civilian casualties, particularly the redefinition of legitimate targets and double-tap strikes. This implies that the US has arguably committed war crimes.
Secondly, drones stir up anti-Western sentiments as they were seen as symbols of imperialism and...
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The discussion here is mainly focused on Western developed countries. How about other developing countries and non-democracies? Do you think the same argument will apply to them?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Of the eleven lessons above, which one resonates with you the most? And why?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
The topic of remote control warfare splits opinions. On one hand, some advocate the use of RCW due to its effectiveness and risk-free aspects; on the other hand, the morality and justifications were questioned.
What do you think? Is there a way to find a balance between both sides?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
This week we will be looking into specific case studies. Throughout the week, do feel free to read up about these cases, or even share about recent cases which might be relevant in this course. :)
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Interesting... It seems like every time there is a certain advancement of technology, there will be a cycle of exploitation of such technology > leading to a risk of sovereignty > and then states adjusting and adapting accordingly to protect and preserve their sovereignty. Can you think of any example? And do you think that this will remain the case on drones?
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While in some cases, a lack of enforcement might lead many to doubt efforts to ensure accountability; it is still arguable that some form of scrutiny is always better than none. By publicising information about the use of drones by certain governments, and exerting pressure (both domestic and international), slowly and systematically some kind of deterrent can...
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Hi, thank you for joining the course! However, please observe the guidelines and comment only in the English language so that we all can engage and discuss together. Thank you! :)
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Thanks for sharing!
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Given the focus on the acquisition of nuclear weapons by rogue states (Iran, North Korea etc.), what about drones? Should they be restricted in this aspect too?
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Indeed, we can observe that more and more drones are being used as a way to counter their asymmetrical positions.
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
The wrap-up video will be uploaded over the weekend as usual.
Please come back to watch it as Dr. Aslam will be going over our discussions and questions.
See you all next week!
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
We have now finished Week 3 and will be entering our final week. :)
This week we have looked more specifically at the US, UK, Europe and the Asia Pacific regarding their politics on RCW.
Next week, we will be looking into case studies on the use of RCW in different conflict zones.
Please share your thoughts on what you have learned this week, we look...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
There are a number of regional organisations and initiatives that can be a platform for trust building mechanisms. Can you think of any? Are they practical and effective?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Down south, both Australia and New Zealand can be seen as aligned to Western values. Especially the former, which is increasingly shifting towards forming closer ties with the US and the UK. What are the reasons and possible consequences?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
On the other side of the globe, the Asia Pacific region is also worth looking at as a sign of RCW proliferation. What do you think?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Do you observe any differences between the UK, US and Europe in the politics of drone? What are they and why is that so?
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What are your views on the EU's use of PMCs?
Can you think of any obstacles to their regulation?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Feel free to discuss your opinions here on the US' shift towards a more unconventional type of warfare.
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
What do you think about the US foreign policy? There has been some changes since Obama's presidency, do you think it has improved?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
What do you think on the US and the UK's use of RCW?
Any similarities or differences?
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What do you think of these recent developments and shift towards RCW?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Looking forward to hearing your views next week on this topic!
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Feel free to share any information you found on the above countries and regions regarding RCW.
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In reality, most non-combat roles have indeed been outsourced to private companies. This shift is an attempt to resolve the lack of manpower issue, as countries face an ageing population.
On the other hand though, some might argue that PMCs are paid professionals with their own code of conduct. This might counter your argument, considering that standard...
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That is a good suggestion. Frequent monitoring will help ensure that special forces and other RCW comply with the rules as they operate under scrutiny.
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Well said! This establishes the "what" to oversight. The next question, then, is "who" should be doing the overseeing?
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You have raised some good points here. A number of SF deployments are agreed upon by allies of the US, and that the presence of US forces is a necessary deterrent (think South Korea vs North Korea, Taiwan vs China etc.)
However, this might result in an over-reliance on the US to maintain strategic balance. As you also mentioned, this is hardly a long-term...
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That is a good question. We will be discussing that in detail next week. In the meantime, you can also try doing some research online and see if there is information available to share :)
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To be fair, special forces are still under the military so there is a chain of command. It might be the more regulated compared to drones and PMCs but that still depends on the countries too.
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That's why this is a topic that needs to be discussed :)
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Good point! It puts into question how PMCs can be regulated, and if it is really possible to do so.
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This has been a question faced by many in the past decades. The Global War on Terror since 911 saw the US declare war against Al Qaeda (non-state terrorist organisation), so it is indeed possible and it has happened before.
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While it is true that problematic non-state actors need to be dealt with, the methods on doing so is the main question. Is deploying RCW really the right answer? It has been decades since the Global War on Terror has been eradicated, and there are no signs of extremism waning or eradicating. On the contrary, it keeps popping up under different names, with...
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Interesting point. From the glass half full perspective though, when compared to the global situation years ago, some might argue that it has been an improvement. Gone are the days of empires waging war between each other, with international organisations becoming a platform for diplomacy and dialogue. So many conflicts have been avoided this way. Obviously...
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It's true that throughout history war times are more common than peace time. In the past, war has been waged between clans and empires to seize territories. However, this has changed. We have seen different reasons to wage wars, from ideology, to religion, to security, to independence etc. When both sides are fighting for something that they believe in, the...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
As per last week, the summary video will be uploaded over the weekend.
Please come back and watch the summary of the discussions on Week 2.
See you next week :)
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
That's it for Week 2!
This week we have explored in-depth the matter of oversight and how they are conducted with drones, special forces, and private military forces respectively.
We have also discussed the culture of fear and the politics of risks.
Let us know your thoughts on what you have learned this week. What's the most interesting...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Would a Drone Accountability Regime as suggested above help address drone oversight?
Why was it deemed "infeasible" for a formal legal treaty? Will the informality be an obstacle in seeking accountability?
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In the video, Professor Durodié argues that the increasing use of PMCs is because of the decreasing authority of the modern state.
Also, the lack of a clear mission and purpose, as well as the tendency to avoid risks, are factors as well. These are results as states seek to regain their authority.
What about the use of drones? Last week we have mentioned...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Fear and risk can cause misinterpretation of information. Stereotypes and misperceptions are important factors as well.
The difference in connotations can be observed when we compared the words "French", "British", "American", to "Russian", "North Korea", "Chinese", etc.
This arguably stems from the culture of fear from the Cold War and the difference of...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Here, the culture of fear relates to the politics of risk.
By avoiding risks, sometimes the essential purpose of the mission can be contradicted.
This thus highlights the importance of a strategic aim or a mission objective.
Coming back to the use of special forces and intelligence gathering. Sometimes information is gathered for the sake of it,...
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Following on the previous step, technology proliferation can constitute a threat if used wrongly or are in the wrong hands.
What are the consequences? The need for oversight? The culture of fear? A regression of some kind?
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
With the development of new technology, it is customary to predict any threats or risks in the use of such technology.
However, sometimes this can culminate in a culture of fear, where the disadvantages are highlighted over the benefits. Also, this can be manipulated by fear-mongering and conspiracy theories, with serious repercussions. For example, the...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
In the previous steps, we have seen that there is a certain amount of state control on the use of drones and special forces. In this video, however, the use of private military forces is a different concern.
From international efforts in the formation of the ICOC (International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers), to respective national...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Last week, we discussed the definition of oversight and its importance.
We have also explored UK oversight of drones, and US oversight of special forces.
On the matters of oversight, what are the key issues to focus on?
The reasons of action? The action itself? The consequences? The budget? etc.?
Oversight can be conducted before, during, and after...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
In this step, we shift our attention from drones to special forces.
On one hand, the nature of "special" forces means that they are different from conventional forces in a lot of aspects. The secretive nature of covert operations is sometimes undeniably necessary to achieve mission objectives.
On the other hand, particularly for democracies, transparency...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Part 2 analyses the oversight mechanisms of the UK on the use of drones. It is overall quite comprehensive and in line with international law.
How about such mechanisms in other states, like the US? Or other states where information is not as freely available as the UK, e.g. North Korea, Iran, Russia, China?
Another problem is also the use of drones by...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
In this video, Dr Moon identified several issues with the use of drones.
1. The increased use of drones has reduced the threshold for military intervention. In the past, such interventions would require the approval/authorisation from the legislative bodies, e.g. Parliament (UK)/Congress(US). This means more unchecked power for the executive body, e.g....
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
What are your thoughts about the International Criminal Court?
Are there any ways to improve it? Or is there maybe a possible alternative?
Some have argued that the ICC's capability is limited due to the self-serving nature of states who are protective of their own sovereignty. It is understandable that governments will want to protect themselves or...
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
Welcome to Week 2!
Thanks again for all your contributions over the past week. The discussions have been very interesting and so many good points and questions have been raised. :)
Looking forward to continuing the discussion this week, and please do feel free to ask questions or share any opinions.
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The concern is, if such violation of international law goes unpunished, this might set a dangerous precedent.
For your second point on oversight being kept at arm's length and "need to know" basis, that poses the challenge on ensuring accountability on the use of RCW. What happens if something goes wrong?
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Well-said indeed. This is the same argument from so many who advocates oversight. The problem remains though, that it is much easier said than done: How do we ensure oversight? Especially on something that is such secretive/remote, which is a feature of RCW.
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Interesting point. So much focus has been placed on the perpetrator that the victims on the other side are so often been overlooked.
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To clarify, the gender topic is one of the arguments from the feminist perspective. The feminist perspective, overall, is beomg critical on the typical view on RCW.
Also, while numerically women might have been involved for a long time, the role they play have been very different in recent times. For examples, the number of female commanders
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Good point, there's no turning back now considering the developments of RCW. Now it's necessary to try and remedy by seeking ways to implement oversight, set out new rules of engagement etc. to avoid the potential proliferation.
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Well said! The advancement of technology in warfare has progressed so far and outpaced the law issues that the conventional law seems outdated and unprepared to deal with such novel problems.
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As the old saying goes: Nothing's fair in love and war. Practicality outweighs any concerns of morality, and survival of the own is usually the priority.
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True, in the past we have witnessed that it is the victor who claimed superiority and the right to write history
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That is a fair point. It might actually be impractical to argue that RCW should not be used considering the many advantages. As long as the consequences are remedied accordingly.
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Welcome, looking forward to hearing your views in the topics :)
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Welcome to the course! Remote Control Warfare is arguably a more alternate kind of military, hopefully you'll find it interesting
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Interesting point! Indeed, international politics and relations can be a very complicated issue. The study of such topic is to examine the complexity and also to think of ways to improve it for the better.
Next week we will be discussing more in detail on RCW. :)
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Welcome to the course, looking forward to hearing your opinion from the perspective of the military side.
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Welcome to the course! Hopefully you'll get to learn more about Remote Control Warfare and find it interesting.
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@LeeScott It was not under public knowledge until Biden got elected and they disclose the information.. The argument from Trump's administration is that they want to avoid bureaucracy drag and be decisive in those strikes. The question is who has to pay for any error of judgement behind those "decisiveness"..
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This can be problematic... During peacetime, murder is against the law, no matter if the victim is a general. Only when it's after the declaration of war when it's acceptable to eliminate enemies. Even then, their are rules of war that states that only enemy combatants can be targeted, and civilians/medics etc. must be left alone. This is why Russia is being...
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Views and opinions and morality change with time. People will certainly argue that circumstances have changed, and they are not wrong. While some might prefer to accord to "fair play", others might think it's stupid to not use any advantage.
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@LeeScott That's a fair point. On the other hand though, such use of RCW has posed the question of: when does it end? We have seen such "war" being so prolonged with no sight of conclusion. Is it really feasible to keep employing RCW and resorting other countries into warzones without promise of a victory?
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While a number of people prefer confidentiality and secrecy for security and protection, others call for more transparency and accountability. It's clear that you are on the latter side. The obstacle remains though, on the "how". How do we ensure oversight without compromising the concerns of the former?
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@RAJWANTSANDHU Exactly! This reflects a bigger problem on international governance and cooperation.
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It's true that drones are incomparable to chemical weapons. The key question is on the necessity of oversight.
People would wish to believe that in the 21st century states and governments would have advanced beyond power politics, but sadly that is not the case. If we truly want such global agreements to work, an enforcement mechanism will be needed,...
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You have highlighted the importance of "perspective". You are right, while the perpetrator will see the advantages of RCW to justify its use, the target will victimise itself and cry foul play.
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Economic warfare and cyber warfare are more indirect means. While they can be argued to be remote, the impact is not as direct as the other mentioned in this course, which has significant consequences on human lives. Great point raised though! Such indirect warfare only leads one to question where the boundaries of war are.
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@LeeScott Most of the time PMC hires personnel with military experience, thus they are already trained with the necessary knowledge. They have a different set of code of conduct, which can be controversial, while the government is only reponsible in fulfilling the payment as per the contract.
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Well said! I would like to point out on the chess analogy though. Chess is played by two players, whereas what we observed nowadays on the use of Remote Control Warfare is typically very one-sided. Something to ponder :)
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Indeed! The Internet can be a double-bladed sword, while it facilitates the search for information, it can also lead to misinformation. That's why it's important to develop critical and independent thinking.
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This is interesting, so often people have tended to look at this topic from the "macro-level", on states and governments etc., and so little attention has been paid to the "minor-level", aka on the people.
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Good point. There are so many potential consequences, and thus a topic worth looking into.
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There is also the possibility of accidents or rogue combatants that are "trigger happy"..
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Exactly. Yet, drone strikes are being conducted in areas that are not declared as combat zones. Terrorist leaders tend to escape into those areas, but these also increase the risk of strikes hitting the wrong target and causing civilian deaths.
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That is the sad reality... Even the US is not a member of the ICC, which weakens the legitimacy of such international organisations even more.
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This is a very good point. Indeed, the trend towards remote control warfare can be explained due to the risk aversion nature of politicians. Having body bags, as mentioned above, is very damaging politically.
On the other hand, it is not a case of advertising such operations to own citizens, but a significant lack of transparency. Surely such operations...
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The key words are "Remote Control", where the means of warfare are not under direct control, but only remotely. Unmanned drones, special forces, and private military companies can be categorised under this definition, as the control aspect is certainly not as direct as conventional troops with a structured chain of command.
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The most recent case is Ukraine, but Remote Control Warfare has been in play throughout history. We will be discussing them later :)
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Hope you will find this course useful! Would love to hear your opinion from an international security background. :)
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Soo Eng Hao (Student Mentor) made a comment
This video will be uploaded over the weekend. Please make sure to come back and watch the summary and also comment if we missed out anything!
