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Congress Restricts Drones Program Shift Congress Restricts Drones Program Shift
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — In an unusual move, Congress is placing restrictions on the Obama administration’s plan to shift responsibility for armed drones more toward the military and away from the C.I.A., congressional and administration officials said Thursday.WASHINGTON — In an unusual move, Congress is placing restrictions on the Obama administration’s plan to shift responsibility for armed drones more toward the military and away from the C.I.A., congressional and administration officials said Thursday.
Lawmakers inserted wording into a classified annex to the $1.1 trillion federal budget approved by Congress this week that would make it more difficult to transfer control over the drone campaign or the authority to carry out strikes.Lawmakers inserted wording into a classified annex to the $1.1 trillion federal budget approved by Congress this week that would make it more difficult to transfer control over the drone campaign or the authority to carry out strikes.
The scope of the restrictions remained unclear because of their classification. But the provision does not appear to entirely block a shift described last May by administration officials as a ramification of President Obama’s intention to move the country off a decade-long war footing.The scope of the restrictions remained unclear because of their classification. But the provision does not appear to entirely block a shift described last May by administration officials as a ramification of President Obama’s intention to move the country off a decade-long war footing.
Lawmakers allowed the president to waive the constraints under certain circumstances or to permit the transfer if the administration certifies that the military meets certain standards in drone operations, congressional aides said Thursday.Lawmakers allowed the president to waive the constraints under certain circumstances or to permit the transfer if the administration certifies that the military meets certain standards in drone operations, congressional aides said Thursday.
Even before the new provision in the budget bill, administration and congressional officials said the schedule for shifting control to the military was being revised — if not shelved.Even before the new provision in the budget bill, administration and congressional officials said the schedule for shifting control to the military was being revised — if not shelved.
“D.O.D. has some work to do,” a senior House Intelligence Committee staff aide said Thursday, referring to the Department of Defense. “It’s a lot more challenging than they thought.”“D.O.D. has some work to do,” a senior House Intelligence Committee staff aide said Thursday, referring to the Department of Defense. “It’s a lot more challenging than they thought.”
But the measure, first reported on The Washington Post’s website on Wednesday night, is a rare move by Congress to dictate how covert operations like the drone program are carried out. It also reflects the simmering suspicion among many lawmakers on the Intelligence Committees that the military’s Joint Special Operations Command is not up to the task of killing terrorism suspects with Predator or Reaper drones,  a notion the Pentagon rejects. But the measure, first reported on The Washington Post’s website on Wednesday night, is a rare move by Congress to dictate how covert operations like the drone program are carried out. It also reflects the simmering suspicion among many lawmakers on the Intelligence Committees that the military’s Joint Special Operations Command is not up to the task of killing terrorism suspects with Predator or Reaper drones, a notion the Pentagon rejects.
That skepticism was underscored on Dec. 12, when a strike by the United States military, launched from a base in Djibouti, killed at least a half-dozen innocent people in Yemen, according to a number of tribal leaders and witnesses, and provoked a storm of outrage in the country.That skepticism was underscored on Dec. 12, when a strike by the United States military, launched from a base in Djibouti, killed at least a half-dozen innocent people in Yemen, according to a number of tribal leaders and witnesses, and provoked a storm of outrage in the country.
The murky details surrounding the strike have raised questions about how rigorously American officials are applying the standards for lethal strikes that Mr. Obama outlined in a speech on May 23 at the National Defense University — and whether such standards are even possible in such a remote and opaque environment.The murky details surrounding the strike have raised questions about how rigorously American officials are applying the standards for lethal strikes that Mr. Obama outlined in a speech on May 23 at the National Defense University — and whether such standards are even possible in such a remote and opaque environment.
At the time, administration officials said that authority over most of the drone strikes would gradually shift to the Pentagon from the C.I.A., a move officials said was intended partly to lift the shroud of secrecy from the targeted killing program.At the time, administration officials said that authority over most of the drone strikes would gradually shift to the Pentagon from the C.I.A., a move officials said was intended partly to lift the shroud of secrecy from the targeted killing program.
But nearly eight months later, the C.I.A. still carries out a majority of drone strikes in Yemen, with the remotely piloted aircraft taking off from a base in the southern desert of Saudi Arabia.But nearly eight months later, the C.I.A. still carries out a majority of drone strikes in Yemen, with the remotely piloted aircraft taking off from a base in the southern desert of Saudi Arabia.
Spokesmen for the White House, the C.I.A. and the congressional committees responsible for the language declined to comment on Thursday.Spokesmen for the White House, the C.I.A. and the congressional committees responsible for the language declined to comment on Thursday.
“The president when he spoke at N.D.U. was very clear about his desire to be as transparent as possible with respect to those operations,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Defense Department press secretary, told reporters on Thursday, declining to discuss the specific congressional provision. “That’s a message that we got loud and clear here in the Pentagon.”“The president when he spoke at N.D.U. was very clear about his desire to be as transparent as possible with respect to those operations,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Defense Department press secretary, told reporters on Thursday, declining to discuss the specific congressional provision. “That’s a message that we got loud and clear here in the Pentagon.”
That is a sentiment shared by many on Capitol Hill. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, told MSNBC on Thursday, “There should be far better control of what we do with our drones.”That is a sentiment shared by many on Capitol Hill. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, told MSNBC on Thursday, “There should be far better control of what we do with our drones.”
The measure has also laid bare a spirited debate among rival congressional committees and their senior members, for jurisdiction over the armed drone operations in the coming years. Also at issue is whether the spy agency should maintain a role in lethal counterterrorism operations or return to its traditional intelligence-gathering focus.The measure has also laid bare a spirited debate among rival congressional committees and their senior members, for jurisdiction over the armed drone operations in the coming years. Also at issue is whether the spy agency should maintain a role in lethal counterterrorism operations or return to its traditional intelligence-gathering focus.
The House and the Senate Armed Services Committees, with oversight of the military, have generally backed the administration’s plan.The House and the Senate Armed Services Committees, with oversight of the military, have generally backed the administration’s plan.
“I believe the majority of the responsibility for this should rest with the military,” Senator John McCain of Arizona, a senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said last year.“I believe the majority of the responsibility for this should rest with the military,” Senator John McCain of Arizona, a senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said last year.
“The majority of it can be conducted by the Department of Defense,” Mr. McCain said. “It’s not the job of the Central Intelligence Agency. It’s the military’s job.”“The majority of it can be conducted by the Department of Defense,” Mr. McCain said. “It’s not the job of the Central Intelligence Agency. It’s the military’s job.”
But members of the Intelligence Committees say the bulk of the program, including the longstanding though diminishing operations in Pakistan, should stay with the C.I.A. because the agency has developed the most accurate information for targeting terrorism suspects — and generally avoiding civilians.But members of the Intelligence Committees say the bulk of the program, including the longstanding though diminishing operations in Pakistan, should stay with the C.I.A. because the agency has developed the most accurate information for targeting terrorism suspects — and generally avoiding civilians.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who is chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, said last year that she had seen the C.I.A. “exercise patience and discretion specifically to prevent collateral damage” and that she “would really have to be convinced that the military would carry it out that well.”Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who is chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, said last year that she had seen the C.I.A. “exercise patience and discretion specifically to prevent collateral damage” and that she “would really have to be convinced that the military would carry it out that well.”