Trump poised to drop limits on drone strikes and raids

Policy aims to broaden field of operations against Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and other militant groups

The Trump administration is considering removing the restrictions placed on drone strikes and commando raids conducted outside conflict zones, according to officials familiar with internal discussions.

The restrictions relating to the conduct of drone operations were put in place by former US President Barack Obama.

The changes, if enacted, would possibly give the US security apparatus the authority to target militants in countries where the US is not officially engaged as a party to the war.

According to officials, the national security team of President Trump has already suggested two changes to the protocol surrounding drone operations.



One of the proposed change recommends the expansion of the drone campaign to target militants that are not defined as 'high priority targets' for the US. Previously, drone strikes have been limited to hitting 'high-priority' figures who pose a direct and continuous threat to the American citizens.

Another change seeks to dismantle the elaborate vetting process which surrounds the ordering of a drone strike.

Despite the proposals, key figures within the US government have assured that drone strikes which are given the final go-ahead will still be required to demonstrate "near-certainty" that no civilian by-stander is killed or injured. The reforms now await the signature of US President Donald Trump.



The suggestions will draw severe criticism from human rights groups all over the world if they are approved, even as the US government scrambles to allay fears that civilians will be protected from harm under new regulations.

The policy aims to broaden the field of operations against Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and other militant groups the US is currently targetting in the Middle East and South Asia.

New rules could allow the US to hit countries like Yemen, Libya and Somalia, as well as regions of Africa and Asia, more frequently. These countries lie outside the traditional conflict zones which United States usually targets.



Trump had earlier vowed to undo restrictions aimed at hitting terror targets in a speech outlining his new policy towards Afghanistan and South Asia.

“The killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms,” Trump said. “Retribution will be fast and powerful.”

The move comes as the CIA is looking to expand the covert drone strike programme, which has until now been mostly limited to the tribal region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

One inside official described the new plan as aimed at making Obama-era 'bureaucratic hurdles' disappear.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times