Can we stand any more success like this?

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 7:53 PM Share

Over the last six months, 11 of al Qaeda's top leaders living along the Afghan-Pakistani border have been killed by drone airstrikes. During that same time, security in southern and eastern Afghanistan deteriorated.

So, observes proven provider John McCreary:

That kill ratio proves that al Qaida leaders are not the key drivers in the Afghan insurgency which surged far past 2007 levels of violence during the same period."

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SJH71

10:07 PM ET

February 5, 2009

really?

Are we to take from this that al Qaeda leaders aren't the real problem because they're not necesarily driving the Afghanistan insurgency? Should the U.S. not be focusing on destroying AQ's leadership? There's something weird about this kind of commentary...what are you insinuating, exactly?

CONYCATCHER

2:56 AM ET

February 6, 2009

Hmm

Al Qaeda is still a threat and the Taliban is still in the way.
Anyway, while the comment is probably right I think it would probably, it still take time for a campaign like the CIA's to have effect considering that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are mature organizations.

There are probably people from all over the world that could take over high ranking positions, such as in Iraq. Considering how those people screwed up in Iraq, they may replicate their defeat in Pakistan.

SJH71

5:31 PM ET

February 6, 2009

yup

In terms of terrorist groups, killing top leaders can end a group's potency -- the most extreme example being Shining Path in Peru. In the case of al Qaeda, which is probably not nearly as dependent on top leadership as was Shining Path, a rapid decimation of leadership ranks would probably seriously set the group back -- which is as good as you can hope for.

And as far as targeted assassinations being a terrorist tactic -- yeah, maybe we should fight terrorists with cavalry charges on the open field of battle. Or maybe we were supposed to send them a gift basket. That idea about killing enemy combatants in war is so 20th century.