Building on an already desastrous foreign policy towards Yemen the Obama administration has decided to make things worse by allowing "signature drone strikes" in Yemen. Anyone in Yemen that shits like a terrorist, thereby showing the same "signature behavior", is now in danger of being killed by a U.S. drone:
The policy shift, as described by senior U.S. officials, includes targeting fighters whose names aren't known but who are deemed to be high-value terrorism targets or threats to the U.S.
There once was a time that the twin towers in New York were "deemed to be high-value terrorism targets". But now it is, as the WSJ seems to acknowledge with that phrase, the U.S. doing the terrorism and the targets are those shitting Yemeni. While not knowing the names of the people, knowing that their shit stinks, or is assumed to stink, will be enough to get them – plus the usual assortment of then "collateral damage" women and children – killed.
This policy is so idiotic that the administration has to resort to Orwellian logic:
Advocates of expanding the scope of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen say the latest U.S. intelligence shows that AQAP has grown stronger since one of its prominent leaders, American-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed in a U.S. strike in September.
So when a drone strike was followed by an increase in the number of AQAP than more drone strikes will somehow solve the problem? How?
As regional expert have pointed out, every major increase in AQAP power followed after a U.S. cruise missile or drone strike in Yemen
I would argue that US missile strike are actually one of the major – not the only, but a major – factor in AQAP's growing strength. Both Jeremy Scahill and Michelle Shephard have documented how US bombing mistakes in Yemen have played into AQAP's hands.
In parts of south Yemen AQAP is now the only group that provides services and government to the people. Taking that away, without any replacement in sight, will create more anarchy. If one thinks that Somali pirates are a problem, does one want the people in Abyan and Shabwa to also take up that business line?
This policy of open murder by drone strikes of people who's "signature" way of life equals that of assumed terrorists is bound to have considerable negative effects.
As these blowbacks are easy to foresee the question is again if such U.S. foreign policy is made due to shear incompetence or if the foreseeable negative consequences are the real intent of such policies.