World | al-Qaeda Militants Drop Tipsheet for Ducking Drone Attacks Tips include hiding under trees, painting cars with dirt By Neal Colgrass Posted Feb 22, 2013 2:11 PM CST Copied In this Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 file photo, a U.S. Predator drone flies over the moon above Kandahar Air Field, southern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) Islamic militants fleeing northern Mali left behind a fascinating list—of al-Qaeda's tips for avoiding drone attacks, the AP reports. The tips themselves are nothing new—they've been posted on websites for a couple of years—but with Mali militants having them, it's clear how well-coordinated al-Qaeda is across continents and how good the tips are. One that AP notes: stretching mats on poles over the tops of cars, so drones can't spot them. Al-Qaeda also advises hiding under trees and "painting" cars in dirt mixed with sugar-water to cover them in dirt. "These are not dumb techniques. It shows that they are acting pretty astutely," says a US colonel. "What it does is, it buys them a little bit more time—and in this conflict, time is key." What's more, the tipsheet notes that drones are valuable because they're relatively cheap, cause few US casualties, and ease "the pressure of public opinion." Click for the full list. Read These Next A former NFL Pro Bowler has died at age 36. Backlash for Trump nominee who said he has 'a Nazi streak.' The massive AWS failure exposed a big problem with the internet. A man ended up dead after trying to steal from Spirit Halloween. Report an error