The latest in the Afghan war of futility.  The US is sending drones to dispatch no-goodniks in the disputed tribal lands of Pakistan.

“Suspected US drones have fired missiles into a compound used by anti-government fighters in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt, killing at least 16 people, officials said.

The missile strike on Saturday morning occurred in the Angoor Ada area of South Waziristan, official sources told Al Jazeera.”

Funny, the Pakistani government is irked with little planes flying all over its territory vapourizing people wily-nilly.

“US drone strikes are unpopular in Pakistan and the government in Islamabad has repeatedly urged Washington to end them.Pakistan says the attacks kill civilians, stoking resentment among the local population and thus prove to be counter-productive in the battle against armed groups. The attacks also undermine Pakistani sovereignty, Islamabad says.”

A big shiny gold star of fail as far as winning hearts and minds is concerned.  Full marks for indiscriminate slaughter though as well as bolstering anti-American sentiment across a nuclear armed quasi-religious state.  However, do not fear:

“But the US has persisted with the drone attacks, saying they were effective means to deal with Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters operating in Pakistan’s border areas with Afghanistan.”

But it is an effective way to get the bad guys… so we kill some innocents in the process.  War is hell, it takes a few eggs to break an omelette et cetera.  If this is not winning the war on terror, what is?

Chalmers Johnsten wrote a prescient book entitled “Blowback“.  I fear that we have more ‘blowback’ coming our way very soon.