A blow to war on terror

Miami Herald: The U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan last week not only missed their target; they also damaged the American-led "war on terror." Even if the missiles had killed al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, the cost in lives -- 18 people, including women and children -- and political capital was considerable.
The attacks provoked demonstrations in nearby villages in the remote, mountainous region that separates Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pakistani government wasn't notified in advance, thus the attacks hurt U.S. relations with a supporter, President Pervez Musharraf. The attacks also created difficulties for Musharraf's already-shaky ability to govern.
The worst damage, though, is to the U.S. claim to hold the moral high ground in the anti-terror campaign. The White House has made it clear that the United States will use unconventional means to fight terrorists. This apparently means ignoring international borders and paying little regard to the impact of "collateral damage," the death and injury to noncombatants.
Civilian deaths
Firing missiles into houses all but guarantees the deaths of civilians. Depending on intelligence known to be unreliable -- information about a target's whereabouts is only a guess without confirmation from trustworthy sources on the ground -- is a sure bet to commit a grievous mistake.