Tactics Shift in the Hunt for bin Laden

On the eve of the 7th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, the US is changing strategy in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. In doing so, they're beginning to acknowledge mistakes that some have been pointing out for a long time now. The question is whether they're making other errors in this tactical shift.

US, Pakistani, and European officials admit they haven't had a solid lead on bin Laden's whereabouts since they came close to nailing him at Tora Bora in December of '01. They also say the war in Iraq has been a major obstacle. That's right, the war Bush said was central in fighting the war on terror has in fact been an impediment in finding the world's most sought after terrorist. So now the question is, how do you change tactics after a fruitless search of seven years?

The answer, at least in this case, is the Predator drone spy plane. Because the Pakistani government has made it difficult for the CIA and Special Forces to operate freely in their territory, the Predator, with its deadly Hellfire missiles, has been seen as a viable alternative. Problem is, in tripling the number of missile attacks along the Afghan-Pakistan border in recent months, the number of civilian casualties has spiraled. This has made enemies of the Pashtun tribes along the border. That in turn makes it more difficult to cultivate the human intelligence needed to figure out where bin Laden is hiding.

It's significant that no one has ratted bin Laden out despite a $25 million dollar reward posted by the US. Perhaps the possible redeployment of US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan may make a difference, if it ever happens. Perhaps the change in leadership in Pakistan can mend frayed US- Pakistan relations. And maybe a new administration in Washington can come up with a new and innovative strategy to capture the man whose very freedom is America's biggest failure.

Or maybe Osama bin Laden will die of old age in the hills of Pakistan. What do you think?