Obama: Drone Strikes ‘Legal’ And ‘Effective,’ ‘Saved Lives’

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his administration’s decision to employ “effective” drone strikes in a limited fashion to target terrorists abroad.

“America’s actions are legal,” Obama said at National Defense University in Washington. “We were attacked on 9/11. Within a week, Congress overwhelmingly authorized the use of force. Under domestic law, and international law, the United States is at war with al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.”

Simply put, these strikes have saved lives,” Obama added later.

Obama also announced that despite his view on the legality of drone strikes, he signed a “policy guidance” on Wednesday that establishes a “framework that governs our use of force against terrorists.”

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: