U.S. Drone Attacks In Pakistan 'Backfiring,' Congress Told

A USAF Reaper armed with GBU-12 bombs and Hellfire missiles.
Photo from Royal Airforce

From L.A. Times:

Predator missile strikes aimed at Al Qaeda often go astray, enraging the people and threatening the Islamabad government, top military advisor testifies.

David Kilcullen is no soft-headed peacenik.

He's a beefy, 41-year-old former Australian army officer who served in Iraq as a top advisor to U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus. He's one of the counter-insurgency warrior/theorists who designed Petraeus' successful "surge" of troops into the streets of Baghdad.

But a few days ago, when a congressman asked Kilcullen what the U.S. government should do in Pakistan, the Australian guerrilla fighter sounded like an antiwar protester.

"We need to call off the drones," Kilcullen said.

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My Comment: Kilcullen is probably right .... the U.S. covert war in Pakistan is causing bitterness and resentment from the civilians. But with too few options on how to combat Al Qaeda, the U.S. Government is not going to change this policy.