President Obama did not start America's drone warfare program, but he greatly ramped up the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to strike targeted militants — and, sometimes, people who were not targets. The number of people killed by U.S. drones, intentionally and accidentally, has been a secret, but the Obama administration said Monday that in the next few weeks, it will release data on combatant and noncombatant drone deaths dating back to the beginning of Obama's first term in 2009.
The drone fatality number is expected to include CIA strikes in Yemen and Pakistan, programs once highly classified, but not drone strikes in "areas of active hostilities" like Iraq and Syria, The Wall Street Journal reports. White House Homeland Security adviser Lisa Monaco announced the new drone policy, explaining the goal was to increase transparency in the U.S. and abroad. "We know that not only is greater transparency the right thing to do, it is the best way to maintain the legitimacy of our counterterrorism actions and the broad support of our allies," she said Monday in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations. She added that from now on, drone deaths will be publicly tallied on an annual basis.
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 5, 2024Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - annoying noises, gag orders, and more
-
5 highly educational cartoons about student protestsCartoons Artists take on apolitical camping, the National Guard, and more
-
French schools and the scourge of teenage violenceTalking Point Gabriel Attal announces 'bold' intervention to tackle rise in violent incidents
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aidSpeed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spiesSpeed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrikeSpeed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claimsSpeed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claimsSpeed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aidSpeed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of warSpeed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picksSpeed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
