On Monday November 10, 2008 The New York Times reported that the United States military was been undertaking secret raids against Al Qai’dah militant in Syria, Pakistan and other nations.

America’s elite Special Operations forces were given permission for such raids under a classified order that then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld signed in the spring of 2004. President Bush approved, of course.

Such an order gave the military previously un-existing authority to go after Al QAi-dah militant anywhere in the world, including in nations that the United States did not consider an enemy or not at war with it.

The New York Times cited the story of a 2006 raid into the Bajaur region of Pakistan by America’s other elite squad, the Navy Seals. The entire mission was watched in real time at C.I.A. headquarters in Langley, Virginia (7,000 miles away) through the video lens of a remote controlled Predator aircraft.

I think such measures are incredibly necessary. The United States lost around 3,000 people on September 11 and many more in the preceding years. If nations are not going to go after terrorist in their nations, then we have every right to seek these people and arrest or kill them before they can harm us again.