The Central Intelligence Agency kills more people with drones than the military does. This is a matter of expertise. So, as a cost-cutting measure, the CIA is going to retain control of its drones. When it comes to efficiency in killing people suspected of being terrorists at Muslim wedding parties, the CIA has the edge. It does not intend to give up this edge without a fight. The CIA offers legal cover for these strikes. The military is not supposed to kill people who are outside a declared battlefield. The CIA has no such geographical restriction. It can kill suspected terrorists anywhere it chooses. As soon as the suspected terrorists are dead, they move from being suspected terrorists to high-level Al Qaeda operatives. Who can prove otherwise? It is important for allies to be able to blame the CIA. Otherwise, they would have to blame the U.S. military. To blame the military would imply that the allied nations are under siege by the U.S. government. They prefer not to admit this. “Blame the CIA — everyone knows it’s lawless” is a convenient approach. From the point of view of politicians inside the USA and outside, it makes sense to let the CIA run the lion’s share of the drone program. It’s a matter of experience, cost savings, blame, and immunity from Congressional snooping — of snooping by the Commander in Chief. teapartyeconomist/2013/11/06/cia-retains-control-drone-assassinations/
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:42:14 +0000
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