President Obama must approve operational plans to target overseas terrorist suspects with drones or other weapons outside war zones, but in some cases does not sign off on specific strikes, according to newly declassified administration guidelines. The newly released document was the subject of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in the fall of 2013. Numerous international law experts have said that the administration’s overall terminology and justification for lethal strikes are novel and without precedent. But despite its pledges of transparency, the administration has waited until Obama’s waning months in office to release detailed information on drone and other lethal air strikes. [White House releases its count of civilian deaths in counterterrorism operations under Obama]Since then, the president has made clear that he anticipates the more detailed, newly declassified procedures will govern future administrations.

Source: Washington Post August 06, 2016 17:32 UTC