WikiLeaks and the Drone Strike Transparency Bill

[marmar]

(Truthout) The US Senate Intelligence Committee recently took an important step by passing an intelligence authorization that would require for the first time - if it becomes law - that the administration publicly report on civilian casualties from US drone strikes.

Sarah Knuckey, director of the Project on Extrajudicial Executions at New York University School of Law and a special adviser to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, calls this provision "an important step toward improving transparency," and notes that, "Various UN officials, foreign governments, a broad range of civil society, and many others, including former US Department of State legal adviser Harold Koh . . . have called for the publication of such basic information.

"This provision could be offered as an amendment in the Senate to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It could be offered in the House as an amendment on the intelligence authorization, or as a freestanding bill. But it's not likely to become law unless there's some public agitation for it. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20106-wikileaks-and-the-drone-strike-transparency-bill

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R