By Using Drones We Are Now "Winning" The War Against Al Qaeda

Photo: Gen Hayden said the use of drones was an "inherent right".

Drones 'Winning' War Against al-Qaeda, Says Ex-CIA Head -- BBC

More than 40 people were killed in Pakistan last week in a US drone attack near the Afghan border. The use of unmanned drones have always been controversial, but ex-CIA director Michael Hayden says they are winning the war.

Ten years on from 9/11, al-Qaeda appears to be on the back foot. One of the main reasons is that its leadership no longer enjoys untouchable sanctuary in the tribal areas of Pakistan where for many years it has been able to plot and train its recruits.

The reason? Pilotless American drone aircraft with a payload of deadly Hellfire missiles, guided to their targets by remote control from thousands of miles away in the American desert.

Not for nothing are the drones known as "Predators".

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My Comment: What a difference a few years makes. I can recall the time when the US Senate Church Committee investigated and condemned the targeted killings (assassinations) of foreign adversaries by the CIA .... a measure that had the full support of many Americans during that time.

Now .... after 911 .... a new perception is in vogue. But unlike the 1970s, Americans now want to feel safe, and the targeted killings of senior Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders and their commanders is not going to raise an eyebrow in protest among most Americans.