News
US turns to shadow war in new anti-terror strategy
A soldier checks registration papers of an internally displaced man, whose family fled a military offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley region a few months earlier. Photo/REUTERS
Posted Monday, August 23 2010 at 00:00
Still, the historical track record of limited military efforts like the Yemen strikes is not encouraging.
Micah Zenko, a fellow at the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, examines in a forthcoming book what he has labelled “discrete military operations” from the Balkans to Pakistan since the end of the cold war in 1991.
He found that these operations seldom achieve either their military or political objectives.
But he said that over the years, military force had proved to be a seductive tool that tended to dominate “all the discussions and planning” and push more subtle solutions to the side.
When terrorists threaten Americans, Mr. Zenko said, “there is tremendous pressure from the National Security Council and the Congressional committees to, quote, ‘do something.’ ”
That is apparent to visitors at the American Embassy in Sana, who have noticed that it is increasingly crowded with military personnel and intelligence operatives.
For now, the shadow warriors are taking the lead.
New York Times
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Fascinating is all I can say.
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