Panetta: Drone strike decisions don't come lightly

February 3, 2013 @ 7:31 pm


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says decisions to strike potential terrorist targets with unmanned drones don't "come lightly."

Panetta says those who authorize the drone strikes make sure they "are focused on somebody who is ... a direct threat to the United States." In an interview released Sunday by NBC, he describes it an "intricate process" of establishing targets, going through legal requirements and trying to limit collateral damage.

Asked about resentment caused by drone strikes, Panetta says the U.S. "has to always pay attention to these issues." But he also says "you've got to use everything you can" against the enemy.

The Pentagon chief says he realized when he became CIA director that he was "making life-and-death decisions." As a Catholic, he says, he's "got to really think about it."


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (3)


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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Criteria the same
    February 3, 2013 7:07 pm
    when the Dear Leader orders Drone hits on American citizens?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TYR wrote...
    How is it
    February 3, 2013 8:37 pm
    there was so much condemnation when the last administration waterboarded and used various other methods to extract information(of which Leon Panetta confirmed was valuable) and this administration instead just incinerates the enemy, and innocent others, with our Hellfire missiles? How about it Dave Ross. You raised all kinds of hell about renditioning, where is the outrage now? Seems a little waterboarding might be preferable to hot molten metal piercing a persons body. And then there are the four Americans that have now been killed with no trials, no presumption of innocence, just a milliseconds shriek of American firepower.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    You don't have to worry
    February 3, 2013 9:13 pm
    The Govt. would not spend one penny on you. White trash is not on their agenda. You and your roommate bill have nothing to worry about, you are safe from drones.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }