Has it already accomplished what it was designed for? Is that why it has slowed down to a near-halt? Smartypants thinks through Obama’s long game:
For a little historical context, the use of drones in Pakistan peaked in 2010 with a total of 122 attacks (an average of over 10/month). Last year there were 48. So far this year there have been 9. Six of those occurred in January and 3 in the month and a half since then (with 2 disputed). Similarly, their use in Yemen peaked in 2012 with a total of 84 strikes (an average of 7/month). This year there have been a total of 6 strikes with all of those occurring in January. Since February 1st this year – there have been none.
Not being privy to the intelligence reports our Commander-in-Chief receives, it is hard to predict whether this pattern of the last month and a half will be sustained. But lets plug a couple of events here on the home front into this timeline and I think the picture starts to get a little more clear.
Read the whole thing.
The Dish 