Let slip the hated drones of war

Secret, unaccountable and illegal tactics are now being deployed over the barren battlefields of Afghanistan, PETER OBORNE warns

Peter Oborne
June 1, 2012

The theory and practice of warfare has evolved with amazing speed since al-Qaeda's attack on mainland America in September, 2001. In less than 11 years it is already possible to discern three separate phases.

First, we had the era of ground invasion followed by military occupation. This concept, which feels terribly 20th century today, appeared at first to work well, with the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan followed by the easy destruction of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

But by 2005, it was obvious that the strategy was failing. The resurgence of the Taliban, and the success of the Iraqi insurgencies, led to an urgent reassessment. In desperation, the United States turned to the more sophisticated methodology once favoured by the British and before them the Romans - the elaboration of a system of alliances, otherwise known as ''divide and rule''.

This was the second phase, the so-called ''surge'' of 2007, which made the reputation of General David Petraeus and rescued the second Bush presidency from disaster. Of greater significance than the temporary increase in troop numbers on the ground was the decision by the Western Iraqi tribes, encouraged by the payment of enormous bribes, to detach themselves, at least temporarily, from al-Qaeda.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/let-slip-the-hated-drones-of-war-20120531-1zkhs.html