[NEWS] Drones Could Backfire

Richard Beeston of the Times of London writes of the potential downsides of attacks in Pakistan:

[T]here is growing concern about the long-term costs of this campaign. Those on the receiving end of the US strikes are not always al-Qaeda commanders. Civilians are inevitably caught in the line of fire, as the stream of refugees out of the tribal areas will testify. Locals, who might otherwise be turned against the foreign militants in their midst, are now more likely to support the extremists against America and its allies in Pakistan. Ultimately, America may be harming its own long-term interests.