The thing that stood out for me is "Somewhere between 2,500 and 4,000 people have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004".
WHAT!? That is so wrong! This stinks and we're making fuss about mathematics. Just read that sentence again.
WHAT!? That is so wrong! This stinks and we're making fuss about mathematics. Just read that sentence again.
In which freaking world are assassinations without due process legal or even desirable? The mere fact that we are debating whether someone was or wasn't assassinated is a perversion in itself.
Arrest them and try them in a court of justice. End of story.
Share information about terrorism suspects, arrest them, bring them to justice. Don't go all Rambo, shooting first, asking questions later. That only perpetuates terrorism - "you killed my innocent parents, I'm shall take my revenge" - and the circle of violence continues.
(Plus, it's already been proven that anyone shot is marked as an "Enemy Killed in Action" posthumously, just to cover the perpetrators asses.)
However, your statement:
Arrest them and try them in a court of justice. End of story.
Is not at all easy to accomplish. The government of Pakistan doesn't control a significant part of the country.
Add to that the corruption at all levels, and it would be difficult to pursue an arrest warrant effectively. If you try to negotiate your way into the areas where the suspects are, it will take a while (and likely a lot of bribes) and they will hear of it and go into hiding. If you want to ignore all the formalities, and just rush in and grab the suspect, you're effectively mounting a small invasion, which the central government AND the tribal leaders will oppose. So you're back to shooting people again.
Again, I'm not saying what the USA is doing is a good solution, I'm just saying I'm not aware of a good and effective solution at all.