The UNITED NATIONS has decided to set up an official investigation into the American use of unmanned, predator drones, to target and bomb alleged insurgents.

In the last 4 years the Obama administration has dramatically increased the use of remote controlled drones in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and in the process, hundreds of civilians have been killed.

Two senior UN officials will now investigate the legality of the program which some claim is a clear breach of international law.

The drone program has bipartisan support in the US as part of the so called “war on terror”, but a number of legal experts say the “targeted killings” are actually illegal assassinations.

Dr Alison Pert, is an expert on International Law and the use of Armed Force at the University of Sydney – and she spoke earlier with 2ser’s Mark Robinson.