An MQ-9 Reaper takes off on a mission in Afghanistan Oct. 1. The Reaper has completed 12 missions since its inaugural flight there Sept. 25. (Courtesy photo). Photo from Aviation SpectatorFrom Abu Muqawama:
A few months ago, I allowed my housemate's subscription to the Washington Post to lapse and used my Delta Skymiles to buy a subscription to the Wall Street Journal. I quite like the Journal, even though its news side has perhaps grown unncessarily partisan in the past year, because it forces me to read articles about subjects -- namely, finance -- that I would not normally study. Also, longtime friends Yochi Dreazen and Charles Levinson report for the paper, and Jason Gay's sports column is one of the funniest things you'll read in any given week. (He had a line about the Washington Wizards' "shooting percentage" that caused me to snort oatmeal last week.)
Today, though, my newfound friends at the Journal mention me in the lead editorial in such a way that I need to slightly correct the record. In a rare editorial praising the president, the Journal's editorial board gives a big thumbs up to drone strikes against al-Qaeda but add:
My Comment: One reason why I enjoy reading Abu Muqawama is that he has a tendency to be a few months ahead of the curve. Drone strikes and civilian casualties in Pakistan has been one of those stories.