General David Petraeus, who took over last week as the new head of Central Command with responsibility for America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a fervent adherent of the newly expanded American strategy of self-defence.

The strategy, outlined by Robert Gates, the American defence secretary, holds that US forces have the right to attack a target in any country, without notifying that government, if the country is harbouring a threat to American interests. This was the case with the raid in Syria last week, which resulted in the death of the Al-Qaeda leader Abu Ghadiya.

Petraeus has won hero status for seizing victory from near-defeat in the war in Iraq with his “surge” strategy. He is now reviewing the Afghan war plan, and could well decide self-defence means many more cross-border strikes into Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces have regrouped.

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