President Obama has embraced the concept of using drones to gain victory in Afghanistan, or at least, to lower casualty rates for our soldiers. The steady campaign to kill Taliban and Haqqani leaders by sending missiles from drones continues and it has produced results. Senior militant leader Khan Mohammed was driving in a car in Pakistan in the province of South Wazirstan when six missiles hit his caravan of cars. Alas, poor Mohammed not longer is with us.
The attack took place in Pakistan, and it is unclear if this attack was known by Pakistan officials. A broader issue is whether the drone campaign of killing leaders will result in an end to fighting in Afghanistan. An assumption of this military strategy is by killing leaders of militants they will cease being militants. Of course, this is an assumption.
Question: Do we have examples in the history of fighting insurgents that death of leaders resulted in an end to the insurgency? I’m just asking.
