President Barack Obama is retaining a powerful but controversial weapon left over from the Bush administration's war on terror: Predator missile strikes on Pakistan.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates signaled to senators Tuesday that missile strikes will continue. He did not directly refer to the Predator hunt-and-kill drone program but said the U.S. would continue to strike at al-Qaida inside Pakistan along its border with Afghanistan.
A friend recently expressed skepticism of Obama's policy of continuing to use drone aircraft to launch missiles in Pakistan. I conditionally defended the policy.
I reasoned that if Obama's inaugeration allowed the United States to negotiate new tribal allies that left the Taliban and al Qaeda substantially isolated then it might make sense to continue to use the drone aircraft missile strikes. If there was a chance of delivering a knockout blow it would make sense to continue the drone aircraft missile strikes.
Have the tribal alliances shifted in favor of the United States? If not, are we pursuing a policy because the Obama administration can't think of a better policy? Is Obama doubling down on folly?
Support for the continuing war in Afghanistan will erode. This is the natural progression of military actions. Sun-tzu warned against prolonged conflicts in a number of passages of the Art of War.
Members of Congress should be pressing the Obama administration for answers about Afghanistan.
1.What is the mission in Afghanistan? What needs to be done to succeed?
2.What's the strategy for achieving the objectives?
3.How long does the Obama administration expect the mission to take?
4.What are the "along the way" goals that show progress is being made toward successfully completing the objectives?
5.What would happen if the United States and NATO simply left Afghanistan? What's the best case and worst case scenario?
6.To what extent is the U.S. military experiencing mission creep toward involving itself in Pakistan's internal affairs? Is there a conflict within the government of Pakistan over how to use the Pakistan's intelligence agencies for covert operations?
7.Is the U.S. military at least partially fighting Pakistan's intelligence agencies?
8.Is there a precedent for the United States, or any other nuclear power, engaging in bombing of the territory of another nuclear power?
9.Would resolving the issue of Kashmir result in reducing the support for using Pakistan's intelligence agencies for covert operations? Is it possible that the best way to neutralize support for the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan is for the State Department to achieve a settlement to issue of Kashmir?
Which member of the Illinois Congressional delegation would be willing to submit these questions in writing to the Obama administration?
Senator Roland Burris has been assigned to the Senate Armed Services Committee where Gates testified the the drone aircraft missile strikes will continue.
Senator Dick Durbin is on the terrorism subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee.
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is on the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Mark Kirk is on the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Don Manzullo is on the Foreign Affairs Committee and on two relevant subcommittees, Asia and terrorism.
