CIA expected to no longer oversee drone operations


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SALT LAKE CITY — The ongoing debate about the use of drones to target individuals suspected of terrorism may be taking a detour, according to three senior U.S. officials close to the discussion.

The CIA, who currently oversees various drone operations, will be shifting their lethal targeting program to the Defense Department, according to The Daily Beast. The move would increase transparency in the operation, which has been criticized in recent months for the lack of information about drone strikes and its intended subjects.

"The proposed plan," writes Daniel Klaidman, "would unify the command and control structure of targeted killings and create a uniform set of rules and procedures. The CIA would maintain a role, but the military would have operational control over targeting.

"This is a big deal," said a senior administration official to The Daily Beast. "It would be a pretty strong statement."

The transition to the Defense Department is expected to take some time as the CIA's operation is shifted over to the military. In the meantime, however, the CIA and the Defense Department will work closely together to ensure there will be an increase in accountability.

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Pres. Obama has said in recent months that he wants more transparency in the operations, declaring in his State of the Union address: "In the months ahead, I will continue to work with Congress to ensure that not only our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remain consistent with our laws and systems of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world."

However, the Obama administration, and most notably U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, have been criticized for their lack of transparency regarding the use of drone attacks on American citizens on U.S. soil.

Earlier this month, Holder responded to a request from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., about whether lethal drone strikes could be used on American citizens. In a one-page letter to Paul, Holder said the "U.S. government has not carried out drone strikes in the United States and has no intention of doing so."

Holder said it was the intention of the Obama administration to go through the regular system in place by law enforcement, but that there may be some instances in which a drone strike could be deemed appropriate.

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"It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States," Holder said.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called on Holder to release the Department of Justice memorandum that provides the legal justification for targeting American citizens in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on March 6, saying "it raises more questions than it answers."

Holder, however, said he was just one person involved in the release of the documents, but that he was "not unsympathetic to what you are saying."

Nevertheless, the debate about the legal justification of drones and who is responsible for using them to target individuals will continue to grow in coming months.

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Josh Furlong

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