Is the CIA drone program coming to an end?
The Obama administration reportedly wants to make the controversial program more transparent
As criticism builds on both sides of the aisle over the secrecy surrounding the Obama administration's drone program, it appears the government is considering a significant shift that could make the program more transparent.
Daniel Klaidman at The Daily Beast reports that, according to three unidentified government officials, the Obama administration is planning to transfer the CIA's armed drone program to the Defense Department. According to Klaidman:
The shift would reportedly be part of a broader effort that the Obama administration refers to as "institutionalization," which would supposedly set clear parameters for the use of lethal drone strikes. The CIA's drone program currently operates in what amounts to a legal gray zone, at least as far as the public can tell, since much of the legal justification for targeting suspected terrorists remains classified. The recent release of a so-called white paper outlining when the U.S. can target an American citizen, for example, was roundly criticized for giving the president overly broad powers to take out "imminent" threats.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Klaidman outlines several reasons why a Pentagon-run program would be more constrained: The military, unlike the CIA, is bound by the international laws of war; the program could only be classified as "clandestine," a less secretive designation than the CIA's "covert"; and a DOD program would be subject to input from other agencies, like the State Department.
Some analysts have hailed the move. "It's clear that the CIA's unprecedented regime of drone secrecy has hit an indefensible peak," Dan Metcalfe, a former Justice Department official, tells Foreign Policy.
However, the program could potentially remain as shadowy as ever. "What matters more than which bureaucratic entity operates the drones is what the politicians ostensibly in charge of those bureaucracies want to do with them," writes Spencer Ackerman at Wired. If the Defense Department takes over the drone program, it will come under the supervision of the armed services committees in Congress, rather than the intelligence committees. Oversight "depends on the the level of interest of the committee chairman on the Title 10 [military] side," Mieke Eoyan, a former staffer on the House armed services and intelligence committees, tells Wired. "It depends on how detailed he wants to get, down in the weeds."
Furthermore, the military would not be required to notify Congress of actions taken under Title 10, while intelligence activities under Title 50 do carry such a requirement.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has already expressed reservations about the possible change. "[My] mind, certainly, is not made up," she told reporters.
She also said the military may not be as effective as the CIA in conducting drone operations. "We've watched the intelligence aspect of the drone program: How they function. The quality of the intelligence. Watching the agency exercise patience and discretion," she said. "The military program has not done that nearly as well."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.
-
A history of Guantánamo Bay
The Explainer War of Terror's 'symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention' is subject of new Serial podcast series
By The Week UK Published
-
5 fun Easter activities from The Week Junior
The Week Junior Easter Activities Looking for some fun, simple Easter activities to do with the kids? Look no further – The Week Junior has you covered with these five fun and family-friendly activities.
By The Week UK Published
-
A Taste of Honey: 'wonderful' revival remains 'vital and relevant'
The Week Recommends The 'period-perfect' production features a 'universally excellent cast'
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published