Destroying al Qaeda

A lot of people in counter-insurgency circles seem to pooh-pooh the idea that drone strikes are an effective means to combat terrorism. But the AP reports today that they are having success:

Recent targeted attacks that killed militants in Somalia, Indonesia and Pakistan have chipped away at al-Qaeda's power base, sapping the terrorist network of key leaders and experienced operatives.

Intelligence officials said Friday that the military strikes have reduced al-Qaeda's core leadership to only a handful of men and have diminished its ability to train fighters, forcing al-Qaeda to turn to its global affiliates for survival.

The killings of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan in Somalia, Noordin Muhammed Top in Indonesia and Baitullah Mehsud in Pakistan – all in recent weeks – have been the latest blow.

A U.S. counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deaths deal "a major near-term blow to their respective militant groups."

This year, U.S. forces have stepped up strikes against militants in terrorist hubs. The U.S. national intelligence director, Dennis Blair, said this week that such strikes have been possible because of a greater understanding of al-Qaeda.

Now, these strikes do run the very real and dangerous risk of alienating local populations, but so does dropping 100,000 foreign troops into their midst. And unlike those troops, the drones are expendable.

(AP Photos)