Department of Empty Rhetoric

[tw]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

I'm guessing the speech was purely a response to the pressure put on him for his drone policy but I'm not convinced that there are much better solutions.

America never really had any policy. Drones that attack are completely new. There was no policy. Drones were used as necessary to solve immediate problems. Without grasp of the long term effects or how that actions might contradict military and civilian principles of law. Drone were commanded by the CIA so that legality issues could be avoided. Even that will now change.

With experience, we have learned significant problems, dangers, and legal contradictions that were unknown or discussed 5 years ago. And so the President has defined a framework to limit drone activity. So that acts are more in line with the nation's principles of law. And so that drones do not make enemies as they (unfortunately) have places such as Pakistan.

We have killed innocent people only because they had negotiated with the Taliban. The President has attempted new guidelines so that even that might be avoided in the future.

I don't see anything controversial. We have learned much in only a few years. And desperately needed this framework based in what we have learned from our mistakes.