Former Obama Adviser Worries About Drone Blowback

Use may be undermining peace efforts

A former top adviser to President Obama on Thursday expressed concern about "blowback" from the United States' aggressive campaign of drone strikes, warning that the attacks could be undermining long-term efforts to battle extremism.

The former adviser, Gen. James E. Cartwright, is the latest and perhaps the most influential former member of Mr. Obama's national security team to publicly express concerns that the costs of the strikes might be beginning to outweigh the benefits. But General Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a favored adviser during the president's first term, also expressed skepticism about a draft administration proposal to gradually shift drone operations from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Pentagon.