Since the 21st century remote warfare has become a prominent fighting method during violent conflicts. It’s an easy way for Western States to govern perceived security threats from a safe distance across the Middle East and Africa. Even though it’s said that remote warfare tactics are very precise and that they prevent civilian casualties, research of the UU showed that precision warfare is often just an illusion. This illusion became clear in the case of Hawija in Iraq, where the Dutch government performed an air attack on an ammunition factory. This attack did not only destroy the factory, but also demolished the whole neighbourhood of the factory and caused many civilian casualties. Another pitfall of remote warfare is that it easily shifts away the responsibility of the performers of the attacks. In the case of Hawija it took 4,5 years until the involvement of the Dutch government came to light.

Together with Dr. Lauren Gould (UU) we will zoom in on the politics, operations, technologies, and political economy of remote warfare, as well as its impact on civilian harm and blowback. Lauren Gould is Assistant Professor in Conflict Studies and the project leader of the Intimacies of Remote Warfare programme on new strategies of remote warfare across Africa and the Middle East.