WELL, THE HUMAN RIGHTS CROWD HAS GOTTEN THEIR WAY...:

Under Obama, more targeted killings than captures in counterterrorism efforts (Karen DeYoung and Joby Warrick, 2/14/10, Washington Post)

The Nabhan decision was one of a number of similar choices the administration has faced over the past year as President Obama has escalated U.S. attacks on the leadership of al-Qaeda and its allies around the globe. The result has been dozens of targeted killings and no reports of high-value detentions.

Although senior administration officials say that no policy determination has been made to emphasize kills over captures, several factors appear to have tipped the balance in that direction. The Obama administration has authorized such attacks more frequently than the George W. Bush administration did in its final years, including in countries where U.S. ground operations are officially unwelcome or especially dangerous. Improvements in electronic surveillance and precision targeting have made killing from a distance much more of a sure thing. At the same time, options for where to keep U.S. captives have dwindled.

...no more getting our hands dirty with captives, we just shoot on sight.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 14, 2010 11:59 AM