The controversy this weekend over civilian deaths caused by an American airstrike in Pakistan illustrates an aspect of the "war on terror" that is seldom commented on in the press: The killing of civilians in these situations is not accidental, but is an integral part of the anti-terror strategy. That is, U.S. policy makers have decided that it is okay and acceptable to kill civilians if there is a chance of hitting a terrorist target.

Early in the Iraq war, the New York Times reported that military commanders in the field were allowed to conduct operations that would be likely to kill 30 or less civilians without prior approval from the Pentagon; if the estimate was greater than 30, then higher ups in the Defense Dept had to approve. At that time, the Times reported, such permission had been sought about 50 times and granted every time. One of the best publicized cases was the destruction of a popular restaurant in the Mansour district of Baghdad, where an "intelligence" tip suggested that Saddam Hussein and his sons were dining. They were not there, but the restaurant was destroyed along with two adjacent buildings and pretty much everyone in them.

This, then is who we Americans have become. We are people who willingly and knowingly kill civilians, including young children, to achieve our goals. In other words, we have become terrorists.