Mission Preemptive

During the Bush years, we saw a dwindling of civil liberties that increased disproportinately after 9/11. Preemptive war became preemptive attacks on any country in the name of US security. These attacks are not in keeping with the best interests of all people. Innocent lives are always lost, it seems, and do they ever get their man or woman in the process? Yet the world just sighs and hopes for a better tomorrow.

To put this in perspective, imagine that China has achieved world power and becomes the country all other countries look to for protection. China has decided to incorporate such tactics as preemptive attacks and suspects anti-Chinese radicals in Texas. So China sends a force to Texas, attacks the radicals, and in the process kills a dozen or so civilians, including small children and their parents. And the world doesn't react because China knows what it is doing and lives lost are the cost of security. How would you feel then? And is this country safe from its own preemptive attacks?

I hope that Barack Obama will not keep any current Bush Administration defense leaders who have been involved in strikes that are not in the best interest of innocent human lives.

Associated Press: US conducted secret ops in Pakistan, Syria
Sun Nov 9, 11:04 pm ET

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military has conducted nearly a dozen secret operations against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups in Syria, Pakistan and other countries since 2004, The New York Times reported Sunday night.

Citing anonymous U.S. officials, the Times story said the operations were authorized by a broad classified order that then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed and President Bush approved in spring 2004. The order gave the military authority to attack al-Qaida anywhere in the world and to conduct operations in countries that were not at war with the U.S.

One such operation was the Oct. 26 raid inside Syria, the Times reported. Washington hasn't formally acknowledged the raid, but U.S. officials have said the target was a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure. Syria has asked for proof and said eight civilians were killed in the attack.

In another mission, in 2006, Navy SEALs raided a suspected terrorist compound in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The raids have typically been conducted by U.S. Special Forces, often in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency, the newspaper said. Even though the process has been streamlined, specific missions have to be approved by the defense secretary or, in the cases of Syria and Pakistan, by the president.

A Defense Department spokesman had no comment Sunday night on the Times report.