4 ms·

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/under-obama-men-killed-by-drones-are-presumed-to-be-terrorists/257749/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/under-obama-men-killed-by-drones-are-presumed-to-be-terrorists/257749/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/under-o... From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualties_from_U.S._drone_strikes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualties_from_U.S._... "However during that period, the Obama Administration did count all military-age males in strike zones as combatants unless explicit intelligence exonerated them posthumously." Obama's policy: kill them first, find out if they were enemy combatants - or not - afterwards.

boomboomsubban 6y ago
That is reporting on the same Times source my link referenced, which doesn't actually say Obama started the practice.
- somesortofsystm 6y ago
  Says it right here: "A phalanx of retired generals and admirals stood behind Mr. Obama on the second day of his presidency, providing martial cover as he signed several executive orders to make good on campaign pledges. Brutal interrogation techniques were banned, he declared. And the prison at Guantánamo Bay would be closed. What the new president did not say was that the orders contained a few subtle loopholes. " And indeed, the loophole was, Obama changed the definition of enemy combatant to mean 'if its a military aged male in the drone crosshairs, its a combatant (EKIA) - until proven otherwise'. i.e. the exact opposite of 'innocent until proven guilty'. I suggest you catch up by reading "The Drone Papers", in case you haven't already: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_Papers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_Papers https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/ https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-comp... Pay particular attention to the definition of the term "EKIA". https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/manhunting-in-the-hindu-kush/ https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/manhunting-in-the-hind... This happened under Obama's watch. https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/opinion/2012-05-29/analysis-obama-embraced-redefinition-of-civilian-in-drone-wars https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/opinion/2012-05-29/ana...
  - boomboomsubban 6y ago
    There is no reason to assume those loopholes mentioned were the definition of combatant found much later in the article, and it doesn't even say that they were new loopholes. Plus, your last link is the one I brought up that shows the policy started under Bush. I am well aware of the horrors of Obama's drone strikes, I am not defending him or his actions. Maintaining the definition is equally bad from my perspective, but it began under Bush.

boomboomsubban 6y ago

That is reporting on the same Times source my link referenced, which doesn't actually say Obama started the practice.

somesortofsystm 6y ago
Says it right here: "A phalanx of retired generals and admirals stood behind Mr. Obama on the second day of his presidency, providing martial cover as he signed several executive orders to make good on campaign pledges. Brutal interrogation techniques were banned, he declared. And the prison at Guantánamo Bay would be closed. What the new president did not say was that the orders contained a few subtle loopholes. " And indeed, the loophole was, Obama changed the definition of enemy combatant to mean 'if its a military aged male in the drone crosshairs, its a combatant (EKIA) - until proven otherwise'. i.e. the exact opposite of 'innocent until proven guilty'. I suggest you catch up by reading "The Drone Papers", in case you haven't already: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_Papers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_Papers https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/ https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-comp... Pay particular attention to the definition of the term "EKIA". https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/manhunting-in-the-hindu-kush/ https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/manhunting-in-the-hind... This happened under Obama's watch. https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/opinion/2012-05-29/analysis-obama-embraced-redefinition-of-civilian-in-drone-wars https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/opinion/2012-05-29/ana...
- boomboomsubban 6y ago
  There is no reason to assume those loopholes mentioned were the definition of combatant found much later in the article, and it doesn't even say that they were new loopholes. Plus, your last link is the one I brought up that shows the policy started under Bush. I am well aware of the horrors of Obama's drone strikes, I am not defending him or his actions. Maintaining the definition is equally bad from my perspective, but it began under Bush.