As critics warned could happen, President Trump quickly lifted many of the late-Obama-era limits while ramping up the government's use of lethal drones abroad and reportedly putting the CIA back in the drone business.(Photo: Think Defense/Flickr)
Sep 21, 2018
The piece was originally published by The Guardian.
For more than a decade, the worst-kept secret in the world has been the fact that the Central Intelligence Agency owns and operates lethal drones outside of recognized battlefields abroad. Newspapers blare it from their headlines. Legislators discuss it on television. Foreign governments protest it through press releases. And, of course, human beings witness it through the death and destruction foisted upon their communities.
Still, according to the U.S. government and the federal courts, the CIA's operation of drones to hunt and kill terrorism suspects -- a campaign that has killed thousands of people, including hundreds of children, in places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia -- remains an official secret.
Toward the end of the Obama administration, the president moderately circumscribedthe agency's role in executing lethal strikes abroad, in part to increase public transparency. Compared to the U.S. military (which also uses lethal force abroad), the CIA is relatively less accountable to policymakers, members of Congress, and the American public. With a diminished role in targeted killings, it appeared then that the CIA's official secrecy was becoming less important to the overall drone program. But as critics warned could happen, President Trump quickly lifted many of the late-Obama-era limits while ramping up the government's use of lethal drones abroad and reportedly putting the CIA back in the drone business.
Read the rest at The Guardian
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. |
© 2023 ACLU
Brett Max Kaufman
Brett Max Kaufman is a staff attorney in the ACLU's Center for Democracy, where he works primarily on national security issues.
The piece was originally published by The Guardian.
For more than a decade, the worst-kept secret in the world has been the fact that the Central Intelligence Agency owns and operates lethal drones outside of recognized battlefields abroad. Newspapers blare it from their headlines. Legislators discuss it on television. Foreign governments protest it through press releases. And, of course, human beings witness it through the death and destruction foisted upon their communities.
Still, according to the U.S. government and the federal courts, the CIA's operation of drones to hunt and kill terrorism suspects -- a campaign that has killed thousands of people, including hundreds of children, in places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia -- remains an official secret.
Toward the end of the Obama administration, the president moderately circumscribedthe agency's role in executing lethal strikes abroad, in part to increase public transparency. Compared to the U.S. military (which also uses lethal force abroad), the CIA is relatively less accountable to policymakers, members of Congress, and the American public. With a diminished role in targeted killings, it appeared then that the CIA's official secrecy was becoming less important to the overall drone program. But as critics warned could happen, President Trump quickly lifted many of the late-Obama-era limits while ramping up the government's use of lethal drones abroad and reportedly putting the CIA back in the drone business.
Read the rest at The Guardian
Brett Max Kaufman
Brett Max Kaufman is a staff attorney in the ACLU's Center for Democracy, where he works primarily on national security issues.
The piece was originally published by The Guardian.
For more than a decade, the worst-kept secret in the world has been the fact that the Central Intelligence Agency owns and operates lethal drones outside of recognized battlefields abroad. Newspapers blare it from their headlines. Legislators discuss it on television. Foreign governments protest it through press releases. And, of course, human beings witness it through the death and destruction foisted upon their communities.
Still, according to the U.S. government and the federal courts, the CIA's operation of drones to hunt and kill terrorism suspects -- a campaign that has killed thousands of people, including hundreds of children, in places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia -- remains an official secret.
Toward the end of the Obama administration, the president moderately circumscribedthe agency's role in executing lethal strikes abroad, in part to increase public transparency. Compared to the U.S. military (which also uses lethal force abroad), the CIA is relatively less accountable to policymakers, members of Congress, and the American public. With a diminished role in targeted killings, it appeared then that the CIA's official secrecy was becoming less important to the overall drone program. But as critics warned could happen, President Trump quickly lifted many of the late-Obama-era limits while ramping up the government's use of lethal drones abroad and reportedly putting the CIA back in the drone business.
Read the rest at The Guardian
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.