Are recent provocative events a justification for escalation?

YESTERDAY’S headlines reported that Russian military jets damaged an American spy drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday.

Two words immediately came to mind: casus belli. That’s Latin for “cause or justification for war”.

The American unmanned drone was an MQ-9 Reaper that looks like the powerful stealth killer that it is. The aircraft is powered by a 950-horsepower engine, with a maximum speed of about 300mph and a cruising speed of 170–200mph.

With a 66ft wingspan and a maximum payload of 3,800 pounds, the MQ-9 can be armed with a variety