Obama’s Shadow Wars

Missile-wielding drones and elite Special Forces units are the new face of American power, and the White House is increasingly relying on them to fight terror in the farthest corners of the globe.

MARCH/APRIL 2012

PAKISTAN

Obama has authorized 244 drone strikes in Pakistan since his inauguration in 2009, according to data compiled by the New America Foundation -- a number that dwarfs the strikes conducted under President George W. Bush. On Jan. 31, Obama publicly confirmed for the first time that the United States was conducting these strikes, describing it as "a targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists who are trying to go in and harm Americans."

However, it's not clear that's the entire story. A report by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that hundreds of civilians have been "credibly reported" killed in U.S. drone attacks, including more than 60 children. U.S. officials argue that this number is much too high, though they do admit that dozens of civilians have been inadvertently killed during operations.

Whatever the risks, it's clear the Obama administration is doubling down on the use of special forces to fight its wars. Even in this age of budget-cutting, the Pentagon's new budget seeks to add 3,000 people to SOCOM -- while the rest of the military shrinks.

Above, Pakistani security personnel examine a crashed American surveillance drone in the town of Chaman on Aug. 25, 2011. The drone crashed in southwestern Pakistan near a paramilitary base close to the Afghan border.

ASGHAR ACHAKZAI/AFP/Getty Images