A secret CIA report, published by WikiLeaks, has suggested drone strikes may be counterproductive and can strengthen the resolve of extremist groups.
According to the 2009 document, "high value targeting" involving air strikes and specific attacks against insurgent leaders can result in greater popular support for extremist groups, Fairfax Media reported on Friday after obtaining the report.
The US, with support from Australia, has used drone strikes as a key component of its attacks on Islamic extremist terrorist groups in the Middle East and south Asia.
The report says drone strikes can be effective but warns they can have the opposite effect if non-combatants are killed, if legitimate politicians are targeted or if the government is already seen as overly repressive or violent.
The study reports mixed results in Afghanistan and Iraq, noting the Taliban's ability to replace lost leaders with effective succession planning, while conceding al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's efforts to avoid detection before his 2011 death heavily impacted "his ability to command his organisation".
