White House reveals civilian death toll from drone strikes

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
On Friday, the Obama administration revealed that the U.S. has killed between 64 and 116 civilians and 2,500 members of terrorist groups in counterterrorism airstrikes conducted outside of active war zones. The death count is "hundreds lower than most estimates compiled by independent organizations," The New York Times reports. The announcement, made in the spirit of greater transparency, came alongside an executive order from President Obama that will require his successors to disclose civilian death tolls annually going forward.
However, critics of the controversial war tactic say the large range in the death toll underscores the government's uncertainty as to who exactly they're killing in these strikes. "They're guessing, too,” Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War Journal at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told The New York Times. "Theirs may be a little more educated than my guesses. But they cannot be completely accurate."
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.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 24 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: September 24, 2023
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: September 24, 2023
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published