Losing Hearts and Minds

American officials claim that Predator attacks across the border into Pakistan are an effective tactic in the "Global War on Terror," killing many high level al-Qaeda leaders, and dispute the claim that innocent noncombatants are being killed and injured in the process. The military touts the high-tech nature of the Predator, and discuss the high level of accuracy which its missiles are able to achieve.

Pakistani officials tell a different story. In an article in the International News, they say (h/t to Informed Comment),

Of the 60 cross-border predator strikes carried out by the Afghanistan- based American drones in Pakistan between January 14, 2006 and April 8, 2009, only 10 were able to hit their actual targets, killing 14 wanted al-Qaeda leaders, besides perishing 687 innocent Pakistani civilians. The success percentage of the US predator strikes thus comes to not more than six per cent.

Along with bombing wedding parties, proper counterinsurgency this is not.