New asymmetric warfare

a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6788057.ece"Times:/abr /br /blockquote...br /br /p The rocket strike also underlines the increasingly important role that US drones are playing in targeting and killing terrorist leaders in areas largely inaccessible to conventional attack. The fight against terrorism has always been asymmetric, giving mobile and elusive terrorists an advantage over conventional Western armies. But drones that can observe, pinpoint and kill terrorists without warning, with little collateral damage and without the risk of Western casualties introduce a new asymmetry that has handed the advantage back to the West. Already they have seriously disrupted al-Qaeda’s global operations and removed the shelter of remote mountain hideouts. /p p Pakistan has, until now, publicly denounced these weapons, claiming they infringe its sovereignty and stir disproportionate hostility to the West in tribal areas. But for some years the drones have operated with Islamabad’s tacit approval, even using airbases inside Pakistan. The latest demonstration of their effectiveness will be warmly welcomed by a government and army struggling to contain the Islamist militants. And although instinctive anti-Western reactions and a penchant for conspiracy theories make public acceptance of the US role in fighting the Taleban all but impossible, millions of Pakistanis who suffered the cruelties of Taleban rule in the Swat Valley well understand the dangers of not confronting the extremists. They will be glad to hear of Mehsud’s death — though should brace themselves for the spectacular atrocities that the Taleban will now be preparing in revenge.br //ppAmerica’s allies, in particular Britain, have been more ambiguous — and hypocritical — about the use of drones. Britain also uses pilotless weapons, especially in undercover operations in Afghanistan. But the Government insists that it does not endorse targeted assassinations. The pretence is as feeble as it is counterproductive. There may indeed be an argument that Afghanistan, where the fighters are more closely intermixed with the Pashtun population, is trickier terrain than Pakistan for the use of drones. But should Britain not also be joining the Americans in helping to target Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters in Pakistan? This country has a vital interest in preventing Pakistan being used as a base for terrorist operations in Britain.br //pp...br //pbr //blockquoteThere has been a good deal of hypocrisy about the use of drones bearing Hellfire missiles, but on this day there are very few voices saying it was wrong to rid the world of this monster. br /br /The importance of this article is its recognition of how our technology has been able to thwart one of the perceived strengths of the insurgents. These weapons have a persistence that makes it difficult to avoid their lethal effect over time.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5051247-6509969392537814700?l=prairiepundit.blogspot.com'//div

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