The White House on Friday released a long-anticipated report on civilians killed in drone strikes.
Rights groups have pressed the United States to provide more transparency on the strikes, and in March the Obama administration said it would release a report on civilian deaths that occur in places outside what the administration calls “areas of active hostilities.”
That includes strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, but not ones in Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria.
On Friday, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration's counter-terrorism strategy has more credibility when it is transparent as possible, and the president will announce a policy aimed at providing more information about the civilians killed in U.S. strikes going forward.
In Pakistan alone, the U.S. has carried out 392 air strikes since 2008, according to The Long War Journal. In Yemen, U.S. strikes targeting al-Qaida commanders total 145 since 2002.
The figures are based on press reports.
via Voice of America http://ift.tt/29mopvh
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