Source: AllGovNoel Brinkerhoff
To the chagrin of American diplomats and military commanders, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has expanded its targeting criteria for drone attacks in Pakistan to include anyone who might be associated with al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations.
In effect, the CIA has authorized the killing of foreign nationals
whose identities aren’t known and who are only suspected of terrorist
associations. Attacks against such groups of people are referred to as
“signature” strikes by the CIA, as opposed to “personality” strikes
which target known suspects. The vast majority of CIA drone attacks are
of the “signature” variety. They were first used during the
administration of President George W. Bush, but they have been
enthusiastically pursued by Barack Obama’s CIA.
The change in policy has raised the question, according to Spencer Ackerman at Wired’s
Danger Room, of “whether it’s acceptable for the CIA to kill someone
without truly knowing if he’s the bombsmith or the laundry guy.”
Officials in the Departments of Defense and State
are not happy with the CIA’s expanded targeting of Pakistanis.
Diplomats worry that the broader rationale for increased aerial assaults
will foment even more anti-American sentiments in Pakistan, while
military planners fear a backlash that will lead to the U.S. losing key
supply routes into Afghanistan.
