As you know, in 2011 the best of the U.S. military eliminated Osama Bin Laden from this world.
Soon after, Ayman al-Zawahiri became the leader of al Qaeda.
Zawahiri was an Egyptian-born doctor who was known as one of the orchestrators of the September 11th attacks.
After taking command, Zawahiri became the group’s main strategist.
During his time as the leader, he lived in Kabul, Afghanistan.
He lived there freely even though Taliban leaders agreed not to allow al-Qaeda to reestablish itself in the country.
Eventually, U.S. intelligence learned that Zawahiri and his wife and children were living in a safe house in Kabul.
American intelligence was able to identify him multiple times on the balcony of the house in Kabul.
He also produced videos from the house that helped the U.S. identify where he was living.
Once the U.S. had actionable intelligence, the President gave the order to eliminate Zawahiri when given the chance.
One morning, as Zawahiri stood on the balcony of his house, a U.S. drone missile struck and killed the terror leader.
The U.S. used visual confirmation as well as other sources to confirm Zawahiri’s death.
It was the biggest blow to al Qaeda since bin Laden had been killed.
The U.S. had planned the operation for months to ensure that no civilians or family members were killed in the drone attack.
After the U.S. operation, Britain’s foreign minister said, “The world will be a safer place.”
The Taliban said the attack was a violation of “international principles.”
But, according to the U.S., the Taliban had violated the Doha Agreement between the two sides by sheltering Zawahiri, so they took him out.
As we’ve seen in recent history, and especially the war in Ukraine, drones are an effective tool for combat.
Use of drones is also drastically increasing among civilians.
It’s estimated that about 8% of Americans have a drone.
If those numbers are correct, that’s over 27 million people using drones.
Of course, these drones aren’t armed with missiles, but they can still be used for spying or stalking.
The problem is that laws don’t do a lot to protect people from being spied on or having their homes “cased” with drones.
In fact, in many places, it’s perfectly legal for someone to fly a drone over your home or look into your yard.
Considering this, here are a few things you can do if someone is following or watching you with a drone.
Use surroundings:
The simplest way to avoid drone surveillance is to create obstacles between yourself and the drone.
For example, trees do a great job of hiding the ground. The thick leaves of trees can make it hard for drones to navigate and follow someone.
Another option if you are being followed by a drone is to go inside a building and exit at a different point.
Chances are the drone operator won’t be able to locate you before you are gone.
If you are outside look for tunnels or walkways.
Finally, use the weather to your advantage.
If you can wait until it’s raining or increasingly windy that would be the best time to leave.
These conditions make it challenging to fly a drone.
Clothing and disguise:
These days you can buy anti-surveillance clothing.
These are articles of clothing that can disrupt surveillance cameras and even block signals from tracking devices.
The clothing is made of special fabrics and has specific designs that can block signals or obscure images.
Some clothing is like wearing a Faraday cage around your body.
In addition, some jackets can lower your heat signature so a drone would be less likely to pick up your presence.
You should also consider changing your appearance such as wearing a hat or adding a fake beard.
The drone operator wouldn’t expect you to go inside a building and come out looking like a different person.
Find the operator:
Many local municipalities lack laws related to drones, but there are federal laws that govern drone operators.
For instance, by law, civilian drone operators are required to keep the drone within visual line of sight.
Now, if you are dealing with a stalker, they probably aren’t too worried about breaking the law.
But, if someone is stalking you with a drone they are likely somewhere nearby.
They aren’t the U.S. military and operating drones from across the other side of the world.
As soon as you see a drone following you, look for places that an operator might be.
Look for elevated locations such as a parking garage or other high-rise places that give the operator a good view of where you are.
Call the police and give them the information you have, along with any places you suspect they might be.
If nothing else, you will have created a report with the cops, so if anything happens in the future, there is a record of it and they can use it to bust the stalker.
