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Why is the US legally allowed to fly drones in foreign airspaces and kill terror suspects?

Sarah Jenkins
Sarah Jenkins
Lead Content Curator · Mar 9, 2026 · Updated Apr 13, 2026

"Legal" has very little meaning in international politics on this level. What matters is, "Who is going to complain?" and "What are they going to do about it?". When possible, the USA gets either official or de-facto cooperation from the state in question and if that state doesn't complain with d…

92
Words

1 min
Read Time

#132
of 500 in Space & Astronomy

+35%
vs Category Avg

The Short Answer

"Legal" has very little meaning in international politics on this level. What matters is, "Who is going to complain?" and "What are they going to do about it?". When possible, the USA gets either official or de-facto cooperation from the state in question and if that state doesn't complain with diplomatic force, then nothing comes of it (e.g. Pakistan and Yemen). In other cases, the USA puts great diplomatic effort into ensuring that no complaints are going to shake the support or indifference of its allies (e.g. Libya and Syria).

Analysis

Key Concepts: Going, complain, state

This explanation focuses on going, complain, state and spans 92 words across 6 sentences. At 35% above the average Space & Astronomy explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.

What This Answer Covers

The explanation opens with: “"Legal" has very little meaning in international politics on this level.” It then elaboratesultimately building toward a complete picture across 6 connected points.

How This Compares in Space & Astronomy

Ranked #132 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by answer depth (top 27%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a simple explanation for why the us legally allowed to fly drones in foreign airspaces and kill terror suspects?

"Legal" has very little meaning in international politics on this level. What matters is, "Who is going to complain?" and "What are they going to do about it?". When possible, the USA gets either official or de-facto cooperation from the state in…

How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Space & Astronomy questions?

This is an above-average answer at 92 words, ranked #132 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by depth. The key concepts covered are going, complain, state.

What approach does this answer take to explain the us legally allowed to fly drones in foreign airspaces an?

The explanation uses direct explanation across 92 words. It is categorized under Space & Astronomy and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.