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 Post reported 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.
_____________________