Bergen’s Albright Moment

It was a very hard choice, but Peter Bergen has given our killing by remote control a grudging thumbs up (Pakistan drone war takes a toll on militants — and civilians, CNN, Oct. 29, 2009). 
 
Not only do the drone attacks “consistently” kill civilians, they also prompt blowback, but as that blowback has yet to reach U.S. shores, well, the price in Pakistani blood–he thinks the price is worth it.
 
Under Obama, we tried to get Baitullah Mehsud fifteen times “but he still didn’t see it coming.”  Yep, killing the Pakistani Taliban’s leader (and “one of his wives and her father”) in August was the landmark success, ding dong, the witch is dead, never mind the concerns expressed when the new leader surfaced that he was “far more dangerous and unpredictable” (Hakimullah behind current wave of terror, The News, Oct. 17, 2009).        
 
It’s not logical I realize, but I expected better from Bergen given that he had recognized the 9/11 attacks as blowback (Prophet of Evil, Washington Post, Nov. 11, 2001).