*WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump revoked a policy Wednesday thatrequired the Central Intelligence Agency to account for civilian deathsfrom drone strikes.*
The move reversed a two-year-old order by his predecessor Barack Obama, whocame under pressure for greater transparency after sharply increasing theuse of drones for targeted attacks in military and counterterrorismoperations.
It could give the CIA greater latitude to conduct strikes as Trumpincreasingly relies on the spy agency, rather than the military, for lethaldrone operations.
Rights groups immediately criticised the move, saying it reverses ahard-fought effort for transparency and accountability in drone strikes,which became central to US strategy in the wake of the September 11, 2001Al-Qaeda attack on the United States.
“The Trump Administration´s action is an unnecessary and dangerous stepbackwards on transparency and accountability for the use of lethal force,and the civilian casualties they cause,” said Rita Siemion of Human RightsFirst.
Trump´s action rescinded the July 1, 2016 order by Obama requiring the USdirector of national intelligence to report annually the number of strikestaken against “terrorist targets” outside of active war zones, and give anassessment of combatant and civilian deaths that resulted.
Rights groups immediately criticised the move, saying it reverses ahard-fought effort for transparency and accountability in drone strikes
Trump´s move though applied only to strikes by non-defense departmentagencies — the CIA, in effect.
It did not overturn requirements set by Congress for the Pentagon toaccount for civilian casualties in its operations.
Activists say the move could make the CIA even less accountable than in thepast.
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The agency took the lead role in drone strikes in post-9/11 counterterroractivities, targeting Al-Qaeda and other extremists especially inAfghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, with frequent reports of significant“collateral” civilian deaths.
Under pressure to rein in the scores of strikes annually, in 2016 Obamaordered tighter procedures for managing the strikes and reducing civiliancasualties.
Around the same time he forced the CIA to slash its drone activities andput the military more in charge of them.
But after Trump took office in January 2017, the CIA´s drone attacksresumed, according to reports.
Its role could grow as US forces reduce their presence in Syria andAfghanistan.
Shannon Green, director of programs at the Center for Civilians inConflict, called Trump´s order Wednesday “a blow to transparency.”
“While public reporting on the use of lethal force by all agencies iscrucial, ensuring that all agencies are accountable for preventing civiliancasualties and then responding to claims of harm is perhaps even moreimportant,” she said. -APP/AFP
