Congress Secretly Moves to Keep Drone Program Under CIA Control

'Classified' provision in spending bill adds to shadowy nature of covert drone program

Lawmakers are secretly pushing to keep the U.S. drone program under the thumb of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Snuck into the trillion dollar government spending bill is a "classified" provision, introduced by Congress, that blocks President Obama's bid to transfer control of the drone program into Department of Defense control, Greg Miller writing for the Washington Postreported Wednesday.

The measure would "restrict the use of any funding to transfer unmanned aircraft or the authority to carry out drone strikes from the CIA to the Pentagon," the Washington Post reports, referencing statements by U.S. officials.

The move adds to the shadowy nature of the U.S. drone program, which critics charge is unleashing terror on civilians while operating behind a veil of secrecy.

The revelation comes amid reports that a U.S. drone strike killed a Yemeni farmer Wednesday while he walked to his home in the village of al-Houta, near the city of Shibam.

_____________________

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.