CIA seeks new authority to expand Yemen drone campaign
Source: Washington Post
The CIA is seeking authority to expand its covert drone campaign in Yemen by launching strikes against terrorism suspects even when it does not know the identities of those who could be killed, U.S. officials said.
Securing permission to use these “signature strikes” would allow the agency to hit targets based solely on intelligence indicating patterns of suspicious behavior, such as imagery showing militants gathering at known al-Qaeda compounds or unloading explosives.
The practice has been a core element of the CIA’s drone program in Pakistan for several years. CIA Director David H. Petraeus has requested permission to use the tactic against the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, which has emerged as the most pressing terrorism threat to the United States, officials said.
If approved, the change would probably accelerate a campaign of U.S. airstrikes in Yemen that is already on a record pace, with at least eight attacks in the past four months.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-seeks-new-authority-to-expand-yemen-drone-campaign/2012/04/18/gIQAsaumRT_singlePage.html
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> The CIA is seeking authority to expand its covert drone campaign in Yemen
> by launching strikes against terrorism suspects even when it does not know
> the identities of those who could be killed, U.S. officials said.
Imagine, just imagine, that any other country in the world made that announcement:
"Our ungoverned espionage, warmongering & assassination agency intends to throw
some more high explosive into yet another sovereign nation even though we don't
actually know the identities of the victims."
"Team America" was not supposed to be a manual for international relations.
> has emerged as the most pressing terrorism threat to the United States
I think the words in that sentence are out of order.
