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| White House to move drone operations out of CIA, centralize at Pentagon |
| 2013-03-21 |
| The Obama administration is preparing to transfer the CIA’s lethal drone program to the Defense Department, a senior White House official confirmed Wednesday to Fox News. The White House and CIA Director John Brennan would like the bulk of the “lethal targeting program” to revert to the Defense Department and for the CIA to return to its primary role of intelligence collection and analysis, as reported first by The Daily Beast. Though the Defense Department would resume most drone operations, those over Pakistan likely would remain under CIA control in the short term due to sensitivities in the region, the official told Fox News. In addition, the CIA is expected to continue to provide intelligence for targeting attacks, despite no longer operating the unmanned aircraft. The change appears to be an effort to improve the program’s accountability and transparency at a time when Americans appear increasingly concerned about the largely secretive operations. Much of the public concern has focused on news that President Obama had hand-picked the human targets -- one victim was Anwar al-Awlaki, a prominent Al Qaeda figure and U.S. citizen -- and secret Justice Department legal opinions authorizing such strikes. There is no definite time frame for the transition, but it is expected to occur in Obama’s second term. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 Going to the Pentagon so it can be outsourced to the new Blackwater facility. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2013-03-21 12:28 |
| #8 Um, Al? Those two positions are not mutually exclusive. This crew of half-wits does nothing EXCEPT as a short term reaction to domestic pressure AND they never think through anything. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-03-21 12:09 |
| #7 I thought the entire purpose of putting it in the CIA was to provide a fig leaf of no military involvement. Pakistan and other countries get their panties in a knot if the US military conducts operations on their territory, but don't mind if a "civilian" agency conducts the same operations. This policy is either a short term response to domestic pressure, or simply hasn't been thought through. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2013-03-21 10:32 |
| #6 Will they start enforcing those crazy crap ROE on drone strikes? |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2013-03-21 10:15 |
| #5 Good grief Lord Garth.... you're right, your're right. :( |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-03-21 09:29 |
| #4 Great. More stuff for Chuck Hagel to manage. I'd almost feel better if Janet Napolitano at DHS were in charge of the Pentagon. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2013-03-21 09:03 |
| #3 Have to have someone to blame their war crimes on.... |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2013-03-21 08:25 |
| #2 Same thing as when the Pentagon (USAF) took over SR-71 missions from the CIA. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2013-03-21 08:21 |
| #1 Something stuck on their shoe. Kick if off over at the Pentagon. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-03-21 07:25 |