Report: Secret CIA Document Admits US Drone Program "Counterproductive"

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/18/report-secret-cia-document-admits-us-drone-program-counterproductive


According to a secret CIA report published by WikiLeaks and reported on by Australian newspapers, the agency admits U.S. drone strikes and other "targeted killings" can be counterproductive and strengthen the very extremist groups they claim to be combatting. (Image: flickr / cc / AK Rockefeller)

According to an exclusive report published in Australia's Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday, a secret CIA document which was obtained by Wikileaks and shared with the newspaper shows how an internal review conducted by the agency found that its clandestine drone and assassination program is "counter-productive" and is likely strengthening the very "extremist groups" it is advertised to destroy.

In his story appearing in both the SMH and its affiliate The Age, journalist Philip Dorling reports:

According to a leaked document by the CIA's Directorate of Intelligence, "high value targeting" (HVT) involving air strikes and special forces operations against insurgent leaders can be effective, but can also havenegative effects including increasing violence and greater popular support for extremist groups.

The leaked document is classified secret and "NoForn" (meaning not to be distributed to non-US nationals) and reviews attacks by the United States and other countries engaged in counter-insurgency operations over the past 50 years.

[daleanime]

1. Kick....

[Maedhros]

2. Kick again.

This very fundamental characteristic of drone operations - that they generate more extremists than they kill - needs to be discussed as much as possible.

[Octafish]

3. DU said that back in 2001.

How many lives?

How many trillions?

[countryjake]

4. Color me surprised.

Not!

The disgusting part of this is that they already know this (basic common logic, after all) and then ramped up the drone strikes that same year (2009).

Our government strategy for rendering a nation impotent, first create and drum up support for extremists to drive away any other adversaries, then bomb the hell out of them (unless, of course, they have nukes or meaningless treaties with us), and once population in devastated land is on its knees, buzz them with constant deadly reminders of who the real enemy is.

That's the ticket! Imperialism 101 these days.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Who'd a thunk it? nt

[Aerows]

6. Oh another fine revelation

from the Department of "No Shit".

[Bandit]

7. Duhhh