Biden Implements Stricter Drone Strike Regulations

Newly declassified rules obtained by The New York Times reveal that U.S. military and C.I.A. drone operators must now obtain advance permission from President Biden to target suspected militants outside of conventional war zones. The rules also require operators to have "near certainty" that no civilians will be injured at the moment of any strike. The rules tighten constraints on drone strikes and commando raids that were loosened by President Trump in 2017. The Biden administration partially declassified the rules and an 18-page national security memo after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The international counterterrorism strategy document emphasizes a more measured approach to addressing terrorist threats and acknowledges competing national security priorities.