TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I
ABOUT
THE
AUTHORS
III
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
V
INTRODUCTION
1
METHODOLOGY
2
CHALLENGES
4
CHAPTER
1:
BACKGROUND
AND
CONTEXT
7
DRONES:
AN
OVERVIEW
8
DRONES
AND
TARGETED
KILLING
AS
A
RESPONSE
TO
9/11
10
PRESIDENT
OBAMA’S
ESCALATION
OF
THE
DRONE
PROGRAM
12
“PERSONALITY
STRIKES”
AND
SO-‐CALLED
“SIGNATURE
STRIKES”
12
WHO
MAKES
THE
CALL?
13
PAKISTAN’S
DIVIDED
ROLE
15
CONFLICT,
ARMED
NON-‐STATE
GROUPS,
AND
MILITARY
FORCES
IN
NORTHWEST
PAKISTAN
17
UNDERSTANDING
THE
TARGET:
FATA
IN
CONTEXT
20
PASHTUN
CULTURE
AND
SOCIAL
NORMS
22
GOVERNANCE
23
ECONOMY
AND
HOUSEHOLDS
25
ACCESSING
FATA
26
CHAPTER
2:
NUMBERS
29
TERMINOLOGY
30
UNDERREPORTING
OF
CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES
BY
US
GOVERNMENT
SOURCES
32
CONFLICTING
MEDIA
REPORTS
35
OTHER
CONSIDERATIONS
THAT
MAY
LEAD
TO
CONFLICTING
REPORTS
40
LIMITED
FIRST-‐HAND
KNOWLEDGE
40
UNREPORTED
STRIKES
40
STRIKE
DATA
AGGREGATORS
43
THE
LONG
WAR
JOURNAL
45
NEW
AMERICA
FOUNDATION
47
THE
BUREAU
OF
INVESTIGATIVE
JOURNALISM
53