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Mark Mardell
North America editor
Obama's drone policy dilemma
Pakistani officials say two missiles from unmanned aircraft killed 15 people
They came to bury senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi, not praise him.
But American officials are so keen to trumpet their latest drone kill that it sounds like they are about to offer him a job rather than announce they have killed a bitter enemy.
They say he was "experienced", "versatile", played a "critical role" as a "longstanding member of the leadership" who had "gravitas" and "religious credentials".
Rather like some official announcement of the retirement of a colleague, they continue: "[Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-]Zawahiri will be hard-pressed to find any one person who can readily step into Abu Yahya's shoes."
"There is no-one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise AQ has just lost," they add.
This rather strange, gushing testimonial to a terrorist is all part of the Obama administration's new-found enthusiasm to open up about their drone wars.
Militants killed by drones in Pakistan
- June 2012: Senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi
- February 2012: Al-Qaeda commander Badar Mansoor
- August 2011: Al-Qaeda commander Atiyah Abd al-Rahman
- June 2011: Senior al-Qaeda figure Ilyas Kashmiri (according to reports)
- August 2009: Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud
Indeed, it is part of their hard sell of a new way of warfare, which they believe has clear political advantages for President Barack Obama.
From their point of view, they have achieved a key military objective with no cost to American lives - and so no domestic political toll.
This was a successful operation, but even failures do not impose a heavy price within the US.
As one expert put it to me: "When a drone goes missing, no mothers weep."
But it is not true that there is no cost.
Pakistan has told the US that drones strikes must stop, they are a red line for the country, and are both against international law and a breach of national sovereignty.
For more on this subject, read my piece on President Obama's drone policy.
Man dead in suspected terror attack
Striking a chord
Light relief
Law of the land
Shock tactic
A novel idea?
Comment number 207.
Removed7th June 2012 - 0:40
All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
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Comment number 206.
Entropic man7th June 2012 - 0:35
Perhaps this book might be worth reading.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collateral-Damage-Americas-Civilians-ebook/dp/B0087GK7XE/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM
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Comment number 205.
Removed7th June 2012 - 0:25
All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
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Comment number 204.
Billythefirst7th June 2012 - 0:20
# 47 Elind
Ironic that you criticize others' lack of reasoning when you write nothing meaningful.
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Comment number 203.
Entropic man7th June 2012 - 0:13
#202 McJakome
The French deaths came from a bad habit of American troops. My uncle used to complain that you could tell a town liberated by the Americans by the amount of artillery damage.
Anecdotal, I know, but he fought in France in 1944 and the careless attitude of American troops towards the French population annoyed him even decades later.
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Comments 5 of 207