Resist temptation to investigate raid

There is an understandable temptation to want greater investigation. Approval of the Yemen raid was the new president’s first so could give indications of his wartime leadership. Casualties were suffered by our military and among Yemeni civilians. An expensive aircraft had to be destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

President Trump has made outsized claims of success and showcased a grieving military widow in his congressional speech. He authorized the raid over dinner, rather than being briefed in the White House Situation Room. Some in the intelligence community suggest the information retrieved did not merit the effort.

Despite all these reasons, we should resist the temptation to investigate. The truth is we don’t really know how valuable intelligence gleaned from the raid is in understanding how to fight al- Qaeda. For years, alQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been the group’s most dangerous branch with advanced skills in bomb making.

We also know that America’s allies in the Persian Gulf are deeply concerned about the danger the group poses, and the strength it has gained with support from Iran and the fracturing of Yemeni society during its civil war. Those allies are taking most of the risks of defeating al- Qaeda and pushing back against Iranian subterfuge. The Obama administration had been stingy supporting our allies. Trump appears to be more helpful.

President Obama’s careful parsimony allowed al- Qaeda to sink deeper roots in Yemen. It discouraged allied efforts to combat threats and caused them to question our commitment. It signaled that our military should avoid taking risks, even though we were putting troops in danger. Even if the raid turns out to have been of questionable value, not every operation succeeds in war. Soldiers die and civilians die. An administration packed with military veterans is well- positioned to make hard choices.

Critics of the raid should ask themselves: What is the alternative? Approving the raid sent an important message to our military forces, to our allies and to our enemies that the new administration is serious about the wars we are fighting. We should let that message stand.