United States government officials like now-CIA director John Brennan have asserted individuals must be a “legitimate target under the law” in order to be targeted and killed. However, top secret intelligence reports indicate “drone strikes in Pakistan over a four-year period didn’t adhere” to such a standard. From McClatchy‘s Jonathan Landay, who happens to be one [...]

A new Gallup poll presents the latest on Americans’ views on drone use by the United States government. The main question asked was the following: A clear majority now appears to oppose drone strikes on US soil while a clear majority still favors drone strikes against suspected terrorists abroad. In reaction Guardian columnist explored why Americans [...]

A federal appeals court has ruled the CIA cannot continue to deny in court that it has no “intelligence interest” in drones strikes carried out by the United States government. The appeals court’s ruling reversed a lower court decision, which found the CIA did not have to acknowledge it had any records on drone strikes. [...]

The notion that any presidential administration or Executive Branch agency can keep secret official interpretations of the law is indefensible. A few members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives understand this and are pushing to find out information about President Barack Obama’s targeted killing program that the public has a right to [...]

Sourced to current and former legal and counterterrorism officials in the United States government, the New York Times published a story on Sunday on the killing of US-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was targeted by a CIA drone without charge or trial on September 30, 2011. Much of the material in the story from anonymous individuals [...]

The United States Senate confirmed John Brennan, who served as President Barack Obama’s counterterrorism adviser and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s secret drone policy, to the position of CIA director today. The confirmation came a day after Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) mounted a more-than-twelve-hour filibuster on the Senate floor. Paul held up [...]

Senator Rand Paul took to the floor of the Senate on Wednesday to filibuster John Brennan’s nomination to the position of CIA chief. He decided to engage in a “talking” filibuster because he believed Attorney General Eric Holder had not given a clear and unequivocal answer to the question of whether a US citizen suspected [...]

The nomination of John Brennan to the position of CIA director is currently being held up by a filibuster being led by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He has been joined by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah and even Democratic Senator Ron Wyden to ask “questions” of [...]

Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who sent three letters to CIA director nominee John Brennan requesting an answer on “whether the president has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a US citizen on US soil,” finally received an answer from Attorney General Eric Holder. The answer indicates the [...]

Most of the men imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay prison’s Camp 6 have been on hunger strike for nearly three weeks, according to their attorneys. In response to reports, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and habeas counsel have sent a letter to military officials take measures immediately to improve the situation. The letter notes, “Since [...]