Honey, I Tracked the War

This episode explores how drones, cell phones, and other widely-available intelligence tools are turning civilians and aid workers into frontline witnesses—documenting war in real time, guiding humanitarian aid, and helping build evidence that could power future war crimes cases.

Host:

Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Guest:

Anthony Vinci, Cofounder and CEO, Vico; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Sam Vigersky, International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

We discuss:

How drones, satellites, smartphones, and other widely-available tools are changing who gets to document war.

How civilians are no longer just witnesses to conflict but are also recording attacks in real time and helping gather intelligence

As Anthony Vinci puts it: “We’re becoming civilian spies.”

How ordinary people are building digital evidence libraries online that may later support investigations into war crimes and accountability efforts.

How drones are blurring the line between surveillance, intelligence gathering, and direct attacks on the battlefield.