U.S. Marines manuever in Umm Qasr, Iraq. /Department of Defense image
A war-weary nation just got another reason to go to war.
Members of Congress are pressing the Pentagon to craft a cyberwar strategy that includes retaliating with a "land-based attack." The lawmakers should be careful what they ask for ... they just might get it.
Does the United States really need to convince anyone around the world that we're armed to the teeth and ready for action? The U.S. military is prosecuting declared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with more than 6,000 U.S. troops killed in action and about 45,000 wounded so far. The Pentagon is helping NATO wage war in Libya, with the cost to U.S. taxpayers already topping $600 million and the monthy U.S. bill for the ongoing hostilities pegged at about $60 million. And U.S. drone aircraft strikes against Muslim extremists in Yemen were recently extended to Somalia.
And those are just the hot spots. Thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in potential war zones around the world, including more than 30,000 soldiers manning the thin demilitarized zone between South Korea and perennially paranoid North Korea.
Cyber attacks on U.S. computer networks pose a serious threat to national security and business interests. Just ask anyone who has been a victim of identity theft on the Web.
But is spilling more of our blood and treasure an appropriate response to this challenge?
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