Obama To Announce Limits On Drones In Major Counterterrorism Speech
President Barack Obama on Thursday will outline his administration’s counterterrorism policy in a major speech to be given at National Defense University in Washington, D.C. at 2pm Eastern.
Obama will use the speech to announce new restrictions on unmanned drones, an announcement that comes on the heels of the U.S. government’s admission that it has killed four American citizens with drone strikes.
White House livestream:
Concluded: May 23, 2013 2:00 PM EDT
President Obama Speaks on Counterterrorism Policies, National Defense University, Washington, DC
UPDATED: Video, transcript and White House links below the fold.
From ThinkProgress: Obama Administration Completes Counterterrorism ‘Playbook’
According to Attorney General Eric] Holder’s [letter to Congressional leaders, the playbook has been completed, though it won’t be available to the public anytime soon:
This week the President approved and relevant congressional committees will be notified and briefed on a document that institutionalizes the Administration’s exacting standards and processes for reviewing and approving operations to capture or use lethal force against terrorist targets outside the United States and areas of active hostilities; these standards and processes are already in place or are to be transitioned into place. While that document remains classified, it makes clear that a cornerstone of the Administration’s policy is one of the principles I noted in my speech at Northwester: that lethal force should not be used when it is feasible to capture a terrorist suspect.
Among the changes rumored to be put into place in the playbook is the shifting of authority for agencies to use drones in carrying out lethal strikes. Reports indicate that while the CIA will retain control of the drone program in Pakistan, other theaters will see drones placed under the sole purview of the Department of Defense.
UPDATED:
White House Transcript of President Obama’s Speech On Counterterrorism Policy
White House links:
Pre-speech Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials 12:03 pm
The purpose of this speech is to take a step back and to take a broad look at our counterterrorism efforts, and I think you will see the President cover a significant amount of ground in this speech. He’ll review what has taken place since 9/11 in the war against al Qaeda and its associated forces, and he will discuss how the threat has changed substantially over the course of the last decade.
Fact Sheet: The President’s May 23 Speech on Counterterrorism
In a broad and comprehensive address at National Defense University, President Obama laid out the framework for U.S. counter-terrorism strategy as we wind down the war in Afghanistan. The President provided the American people with an update on how the threat of terrorism has changed substantially since September 11, 2001, as Al Qaeda’s core in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been decimated, and new threats have emerged from al Qaeda affiliates, localized extremist groups, and homegrown terrorists. The President also discussed our comprehensive strategy to meet these threats, including waging the war against al Qaeda and our counter-terrorism efforts more broadly.
Bullet points from fact sheet:
– Responding to the Threat: Targeting Terrorists and Leveraging Effective Partnerships
– Standards for Taking Lethal Action
– Oversight and Authorities
– Beyond the Use of Force: Diplomatic Engagement and Assistance
– Domestic Radicalization
– A Balance Between Security and Civil Liberties
– Closing Guantanamo
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