Terriff, TerryStone, Allison Nicole2021-05-142021-05-142021-05-11Stone, A. N. (2021). Ally, Enemy or Something Else? How and Why the United States Drone Program Implementation and Operation in Pakistan Changed their Relationship (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113406This papers’ focus concerns the relationship between the United States and Pakistan around the implementation, use, and regulation of militarized drones in Pakistan. In analyzing the emergence and operation of militarized drones, this paper reconciles how their relationship has been affected legally, militarily, politically, diplomatically, and socially. To develop these arguments, I examine the pertinent historical evolution and statistical figures that exemplify drones’ trajectory from a newly developed technology strictly for intelligence gathering to an exceedingly popular weaponry system used in numerous combat situations. Subsequently, an examination of how specifically drones have altered the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and the United States is explored by analyzing the military impact and other tangible hard areas of focus, including the legality of strikes as well as softer, less easily quantifiable concerns of political, diplomatic, and social consequences. I argue that it has been militarily successful by improving intelligence cooperation, eliminating high-value targets, and assisting Pakistan to be better equipped at preventing future terrorist or insurgent attacks. Further, the drone program unified the two after the triple whammy of Raymond Davis killing two Pakistani citizens, bin Laden being found in the country, and the Salalah incident shutting down borders and airspaces, which left the relationship on the brink of total dissolution. Its redeeming feature was the still existent security concerns that required drone use to respond appropriately; without which it may have been irredeemable. However, outside the military realm the legal, political, diplomatic, and social consequences have been detrimental to their bilateral relationship by leaving them in a state of flux as to the potential future trajectories of their partnership. Where one individually falls on assessing whether it has been positive or not is ultimately a matter of opinion based on priorities. If military strategy and security are paramount, one would agree it has been a positive program. If one prioritizes the expansion of their dynamic beyond transaction military arrangements, then it has failed spectacularly. This thesis argues the former is still a victory; a relationship by any means is better than the alternative when it concerns such a tenuous partnership.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.United States-PakistanDronesUAVMilitarized Unmanned Aerial VehicleLiterature--Middle EasternHistory--MilitaryHistory--United StatesMilitary StudiesPolitical Science--International Law and Relationsmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/38860