The Downside of Letting Robots Do the Bombing

Washington is mulling the long-term implications of using drone robots – missiles attached to remote-controlled planes – to kill enemies in combat, reports Mark Mazzetti for the New York Times. The drones attack Al Qaeda leaders hiding in remote regions of Pakistan without endangering US troops, Mazzetti writes, yet are “the antithesis of the grinding, patient and high-risk counterinsurgency doctrine” that can win hearts and minds of a people in conflict. Drone strikes could unite rather than separate militants from civilians, some analysts suggest, as well as send a signal that US lacks the courage to fight or mix with the people. The US continues its search for an effective strategy that combats extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. – YaleGlobal