The risks and rewards of Obama's drone policy

France 24

AFP Photo

Between winding down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and overseeing the killing of Osama bin Laden, US President Barack Obama earned high marks for his navigation of foreign policy during his first term.

But since his re-election in November, Obama has come under fire for his aggressive counterterrorism programme, particularly the use of drones (unmanned aerial combat vehicles) to kill suspected terrorists – including American citizens deemed threats to US security.

The White House has defended its use of drones as an efficient way to target high-ranking terrorists without relying on US troops or causing excessive collateral damage.

The Obama administration has also reportedly been trying to establish what the president has called a “legal architecture” to delineate why the US, in its effort to crack down on al Qaeda, should be able to defend itself by taking out enemies wherever they are found.

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