10 things you need to know today: December 12, 2021

New York Times claims secret drone strike cell showed reckless disregard for civilian casualties, Newsom announces plan to adapt Texas abortion law to gun control, and more

Drone Strike
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1. Secret drone strike cell showed reckless disregard for civilian casualties, New York Times report claims

A classified Delta Force cell that coordinated strikes against Islamic State targets showed reckless disregard for civilian casualties by regularly circumventing safeguard procedures and engaging in deceptive practices, according to a report published Sunday by The New York Times. The cell, known as Talon Anvil, worked out of nondescript offices in Iraq and Syria. Authority to order airstrikes was delegated to enlisted personnel. High-ranking intelligence officers became skeptical of the cell's methods as civilian casualties mounted. Talon Anvil members reportedly misclassified almost all strikes as defensive in order to sidestep waiting periods imposed on offensive strikes and even took to averting the drones' cameras after launch in order to hide evidence of civilian deaths.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.