Signature Strikes and the Ethics of Targeted Killing
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20184451 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ruxandra Oana Vlad (0000-0002-8380-8835), John William Hardy (0000-0003-0322-9380) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1202-1230 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0885-0607 • E-ISSN: 1521-0561 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/08850607.2024.2382029 |
| OpenAlex | W4402219377 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
Targeted killings have been a polarizing political issue since the first lethal drone strike was conducted in 2002. In the last decade, literature has debated the merits of targeted killing in international conflicts. There has been significant legal and ethical controversy over the conduct of signature strikes, in which individuals are targeted for displaying behaviors or activities that are consistent with participation in hostilities. This study examines the ethics of signature strikes from the perspective of intelligence-based targeting, focusing on the ethical implications of targeting individuals based on behavioral patterns. It argues that the ethical conduct of signature strikes is contingent on the veracity of intelligence-based models that are used to identify and validate signature behaviors. It concludes that, although the practice of signature strikes has been mixed, signature strikes can be ethical when robust models of participation in hostilities are used
Computer security · Criminology · Political science · Computer Science · Mathematics · Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |