ACLU: Drone Program May Shift From CIA to Military

[ProSense]

Drone Program May Shift From CIA to Military

NEW YORK – A report in The Daily Beast today said that the Obama administration is considering taking targeted killing responsibilities from the CIA and placing them under the control of the military.

“Ending the CIA’s role as a paramilitary killing organization would be an important step in the right direction,” said Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project. “President Obama took the CIA out of the torture and detention business, and it’s past time to do the same with targeted killings. As important as this change would be, the killing program is still wrapped in unwarranted secrecy, and is still unlawful in its scope, dangerous, and unwise. Far greater transparency and accountability for targeted killings must accompany any change of responsibility, and it remains to be seen whether the secretive Joint Special Operations Command will address those concerns.”

http://www.aclu.org/national-security/drone-program-may-shift-cia-military

[stevenleser]

1. And that would end even the slightest shred of issues as far as legality is concerned

We need a post drone program and plan.

[ProSense]

2. There will be

"We need a post drone program and plan."

...a hearing on in a few weeks:

On Tuesday, April 16th, the Constitution Subcommittee will hold a hearing on targeted killings. That hearing, entitled “Drone Wars: The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing,” will be chaired by Durbin and will focus on the constitutional and statutory authority for targeted killings; the scope of the battlefield and who can be targeted as a combatant; and establishing a transparent legal framework for the use of drones.

“Targeted killing raises important legal and policy questions that require a public debate,” Durbin said. “President Obama has made it clear he wants to work with Congress to establish ‘a legal architecture’ for drone strikes to prevent abuses. My subcommittee will begin this important constitutional debate when we meet next month.”

Information on both hearings, including witness lists, will be available on the Committee’s website soon.

http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-judiciary-committee-will-hold-two-hearings-on-drones