US Missile Strikes Take Heavy Toll on Al Qaeda

The LA Time reported U.S. missile strikes take heavy toll on Al Qaeda

"Predator drone attacks in northwest Pakistan have increased sharply since Bush last year stopped seeking Pakistan's permission. Obama may keep pace as officials speak of confusion in Al Qaeda ranks."

"U.S. intelligence officials said they see clear signs that the Predator strikes are sowing distrust within Al Qaeda. "They have started hunting down people who they think are responsible" for security breaches, the senior U.S. counter-terrorism official said, discussing intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity. "People are showing up dead or disappearing."

"The stepped-up Predator campaign has killed at least nine senior Al Qaeda leaders and dozens of lower-ranking operatives, in what U.S. officials described as the most serious disruption of the terrorist network since 2001."

It seems once Musharraf was out of office we felt less compelled to get Pakistani approval before launching strikes. So we weren't waiting while the intelligence became outdated. In spite of the civilian casualties, the Pakistani government isn't complaining loudly because we're also targeting militant groups that threaten the Pakstani government.