White House ignores exec. order requiring count of civilian casualties in counterterrorism strikes
Retweeted by RogueAltGov: https://twitter.com/RogueAltGov
Ignoring the reporting requirement for civilian casualties is a terrible decision. I introduced a bill in 2014 to make it mandatory, and unfortunately this shows why executive action is not enough. We must be transparent and accountable about use of lethal force.
White House ignores executive order requiring count of civilian casualties in counterterrorism strikes
National Security
White House ignores executive order requiring count of civilian casualties in counterterrorism strikes
By Greg Jaffe May 1 at 6:14 PM
greg.jaffe@washpost.com
The Trump administration has chosen to ignore an executive order that requires the White House to issue an annual report on the number of civilians and enemy fighters killed by American counterterrorism strikes.
The mandate for the report, which was due May 1, was established by former president Barack Obama in 2016 as part of a broader effort to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding drone operations in places such as Yemen, Somalia and Libya. The White House has not formally rescinded the Obama-era executive order but has chosen not to comply with some aspects of it.
The executive order that requires the civilian casualty report is under review and could be modified or rescinded, a White House spokesman said. The White House declined to say who is conducting the review, how long it has been ongoing and when it is expected to be completed.
{Read Obamas executive order on civilian casualties}
The decision on the civilian casualty report is part of a broader shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy to withhold more information about U.S. drone strikes and the rules governing them, reversing Obama-era policies dating to 2013.
....
Greg Jaffe is a national security reporter for The Washington Post, where he has been since March 2009. Previously, he covered the White House and the military for The Post. Follow
@GregJaffe