Andrea Stone
Huffington Post
April 30, 2012
Saying that President Barack Obama “has instructed us to be more open with the American people” in the use of drones to kill suspected terrorists abroad, White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said Monday that the controversial strikes are “ethical and just,” with each one being carefully vetted.
“As a matter of international law, the United States is in an armed conflict with al Qaeda, the Taliban and associated forces, in response to the 9/11 attacks, and we may also use force consistent with our inherent right of national self-defense,” Brennan said in prepared remarks at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
“There is nothing in international law that bans the use of remotely piloted aircraft for this purpose or that prohibits us from using lethal force against our enemies outside of an active battlefield, at least when the country involved consents or is unable or unwilling to take action against the threat,” Brennan added.
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