Should Trump Lift Drone Restrictions?
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What’s the story?
The Trump administration is planning to lift Obama-era restrictions on drone strikes.
In the past, drone strikes by the military and C.I.A. were limited to high-level combatants deemed to pose a "continuing and imminent threat" to Americans. They also required high-level vetting before being carried out.
But The New York Times is reporting that senior officials are planning to ease these restrictions. This would seem to confirm statements made by President Trump in a speech last month where he said:
"The killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms. Retribution will be fast and powerful."
Why does it matter?
The Times is reporting that the new rules would change drone strikes in two ways:
"First, the targets of kill missions by the military and the CIA…would be expanded to include foot-soldier jihadists with no special skills or leadership roles." It would also apply in countries where the U.S. “has targeted Islamist militants outside of regular combat for years, including Yemen, Somalia and Libya."
"Second, proposed drone attacks and raids would no longer undergo high-level vetting."
Officials have agreed, however, to keep the requirement of "near certainty" that no civilian bystanders will be killed," according to the Times.
Amnesty International was quick to respond to the reports. Zeke Johnson, a senior director of programs for the organization, released a statement saying that the use of drones – whether under President Obama or Trump – has "always been legally and morally murky." Furthermore, he said,
"Any move to gut their already weak human rights protections would be unacceptable. The Trump administration needs to ensure that its guidance for operations outside armed conflict comply with human rights law."
But officials reportedly told the Times that lifting drone restrictions would clear the way to "target rank-and-file Islamist insurgents even without the presence of a high-level leader focused on attacking Americans."
The new policy would also pave the way for possible future strikes in countries where Islamic militants are operating, including Nigeria and the Philippines.
The C.I.A. has been lobbying for the increased use of drones for months. In July, C.I.A. director Mike Pompeo credited the drone campaign inside of Pakistan for breaking "the back of Al Qaeda."
"We took down their entire network," Pompeo said. “And that’s what we’re going to do again.”
What do you think?
Should the U.S. ease drone restrictions to, as Trump said, "crush the loser terrorists and stop the re-emergence of safe havens they use to launch attacks on all of our people"? Or do you share the concerns of Amnesty International that “the administration cannot write itself a blank check to kill with impunity”? Hit Take Action, tell your reps, then comment below.
—Josh Herman
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(Photo Credit: alxpin / iStockphoto)
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