Fear the Reaper

Droning On In Afghanistan

It all comes down to the quality of the intelligence.

This week provided graphic evidence of the both effectiveness and the limits of killing bad guys by remote control from the deserts of Arizona.

First the bad intell:  a U.S. military investigation delivered a scathingly critical assessment: showing not only how screw-ups can get innocent people killed, but also how the U.S. military really does take seriously the investigation of unintended civilian casualties.  It does not simply write off the deaths of women, children, and other non-combatants as “collateral damage” –a term that has increasingly taken on an unwarranted pejorative tone, implying that U.S. forces are uncaring and unfeeling about the loss of innocent life.

The report detailing the findings of the investigation makes several key points, while in no way excusing the failings of crews in Nevada to properly inform the ground commander about what they did or didn’t know about a civilian convoy mistaken for an insurgent force on the move.

READ THE FULL FOUR-PAGE REPORT HERE.

Tactical Patience

First of all it explains why the convoy was mistaken for an insurgent force, and it notes that the ground commander displayed “tactical patience” in allowing the situation to develop over several hours before taking action.  What the commander wasn’t told was that there were children spotted near the vehicles, and the report notes that any evidence suggesting the convoy was anything other than an attacking forces was either “ignored or downplayed” by the crew operating the predator drone.

With the emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties U.S. and NATO crews go to great lengths to avoid making just this kind of mistake.  Watch this video that shows an engagement that is called off because a goat herders — who might be an innocent bystander is nearby.  It’s an example of “tactical patience.”

The mistake that lead to 23 Afghan deaths, including the wounding of one woman and two children was ultimately blamed on “inaccurate and unprofessional” reporting by operators of unmanned drones in Arizona.  There was no attempt to cover-up the tragic mistakes.

But also this week there was stunning success in the drone wars, when it was announced that the operational leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan was killed in an American missile strike about two weeks ago in Pakistan’s tribal areas.    It’s an example why the Predator and Reaper planes are not just an effective alternative to manned airstrikes, but also a weapon that has struck fear deep into the psyche of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Pres. Barack Obama jokes about Predator Drones — May 1, 2010. CSPAN

As President Obama so accurately but thoughtlessly joked at the White House Correspondents dinner a month ago, the targets of drone attacks “never see it coming.”

And it’s their effectiveness that accounts for the fact the Obama administration has been stepping up the use of drones, as documented by a recent report Revenge of the Drones by the New America Foundation.

So Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an Egyptian, considered by American intelligence

officials as terrorist organization’s No. 3 leader behind Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, is dead.  We think.

And Pakistanis, the Taliban, and al Qaeda continue to fear the Reaper and the Predator, with good reason.

Tags: Afghanistan, Drones, Predator, Reaper