In much of the world, the Predator drone symbolises US power. It is ubiquitous, stealthy and can strike at any moment. They patrol the skies of central Asia, north Africa, the Arabian peninsula – and now Iraq. Other countries have nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers. But nobody else can match the lethal ingenuity of America’s Hellfire missile. Little surprise that two US presidents – George W Bush, and now Barack Obama – have resorted to them so frequently. But their heyday is waning. America’s unipolar drone moment is ending.
在世界上很多地方，“掠奪者”(Predator)無人機象征著的美國的威力。它們無處不在、無法探測，還能隨時發動攻擊。它們游弋在中亞、北非、阿拉伯半島——如今還有伊拉克——的上空。其他國家也有核武器和航空母艦，但美國“地獄火”(Hellfire)導彈的獨創性和殺傷力無可匹敵。難怪喬治?W?布什(George W Bush)和現在的巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)兩位美國總統屢屢動用無人機。但無人機的全盛時期正在過去。美國單極壟斷無人機的日子即將結束。