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[Piecake]

In his final months in office, President Barack Obama sought to lock in a structure and set of rules governing targeted killings and drone strikes so that the in­cred­ibly lethal tool would not be abused by his successors.

In his first six weeks in office, President Trump, who has made destroying the Islamic State his top foreign policy priority, has pressed to roll back some of those checks.

The Trump administration is close to finishing a review that would make it easier for the Pentagon to launch counterterrorism strikes anywhere in the world by lowering the threshold on acceptable civilian casualties and scaling back other constraints imposed by the Obama administration, senior U.S. officials said.

But the senior Trump administration official said any new policy will acknowledge that any civilian casualties overseas work against U.S. counterterrorism policy goals. “ We want to have a wise, moral standard that allows us to maintain the consent of the governed in these countries,” the official said.

Obama imposed the restrictive rules because he was worried that future administrations might be seduced by the power of drones to destroy potential threats to the United States at a very low cost in both blood and taxpayer dollars anywhere in the world.

He also hoped that his policy would provide a check internationally as armed drones proliferate, to countries such as China or Iran.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...047d15a24e0_story.html?utm_term=.bbcc82d61fbd

 

[titiklabingapat]

He really is hell-bent on making Obama look good in the history books, isn't he.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Ugh. Yet another terrible idea that the Trump admin is considering.

 

[Beer Monkey]

But Hillary is a hawk!

 

[triplestation]

oh thats nice

 

[TumblingHippo]

Funny how "b-but Obama did drone strikes!" was the argument people used for voting for the orange turd.

 

[geomon]

I mean it's really not that fucking hard right now.

 

[Chumly]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...047d15a24e0_story.html?utm_term=.bbcc82d61fbd

Absolutely hilarious how many both sides are exactly the same argument we have been hearing over the years.

Totally the same people

 

[theWB27]

Obama did what? Ok I'll reverse it.

I think that's trumps thought process.

 

[Skyline Owl]

Whew. Sure did dodge a bullet by not electing that war hawk Hillary.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

This is an actual case of "Thanks Obama", it was after all Obama's administration that started using the drone strikes. I mean what was he expecting, that all his successors would always follow his own principles with the things?

 

[sangreal]

Obama did what? Ok I'll reverse it.

I think that's trumps thought process.

He has admitted as much

 

[theWB27]

This is an actual case of "Thanks Obama", it was after all Obama's administration that started using the drone strikes. I mean what was he expecting, that all his successors would always follow his own principles with the things?

Is there anything wrong with holding following presidents to that?

@sangreal.... Crazy

 

[The Kree]

I assume he's looking at ways to use them on us.

 

[Ekdrm2d1]

Obama did what? Ok I'll reverse it.

I think that's trumps thought process.

Well.. you're not wrong.

 

[Piecake]

This is an actual case of "Thanks Obama", it was after all Obama's administration that started using the drone strikes. I mean what was he expecting, that all his successors would always follow his own principles with the things?

No it isnt.

Do you honestly believe that if Obama didn't use drone strikes that Trump would follow his precedent and not use drone strikes as well?

I mean, your exact argument would also back up that argument as well

 

[geomon]

This is an actual case of "Thanks Obama", it was after all Obama's administration that started using the drone strikes. I mean what was he expecting, that all his successors would always follow his own principles with the things?

Um, no. George W. Bush used drones, granted not as many as Obama did but then again, good ol' George preferred to use people to kill other people.

 

[adamsappel]

I mean it's really not that fucking hard right now.

Didn't Obama have to approve every drone strike? I would imagine Trump wants to let field commanders have more autonomy. Look what happened the last time they interrupted his dinner for a mission approval!

This is an actual case of "Thanks Obama", it was after all Obama's administration that started using the drone strikes. I mean what was he expecting, that all his successors would always follow his own principles with the things?

Even if Obama had never ordered a drone strike, do you think Trump would not?

 

[bonesmccoy]

I would have thought it was already pretty easy. Obama was drone striking half of Southeast Asia at one point.

 

[Link]

But Hillary is a hawk!

Boy, did we dodge that bullet!

 

[Rentahamster]

Obama imposed the restrictive rules because he was worried that future administrations might be seduced by the power of drones to destroy potential threats to the United States at a very low cost in both blood and taxpayer dollars anywhere in the world.

This seems a little ironic, considering the Obama administration's record on drone strikes.

But Hillary is a hawk!

Wouldn't that mean Obama also thought so, since he and the rest of the beltway thought that it was a shoe in for Clinton?

 

[dr3upmushroom]

He really is hell-bent on making Obama look good in the history books, isn't he.

Obama only looks good because he's out of office, Okay!

 

[Acorn]

I mean it's really not that fucking hard right now.

Pretty much.

Does he want to pilot them himself or something?

 

[CrocMother]

We're the bad guys

 

[120v]

Um, no. George W. Bush used drones, granted not as many as Obama did but then again, good ol' George preferred to use people to kill other people.

technically they started under clinton.

drones are really just more precise and advanced airstrikes. morality arguments aside it's essentially what we've been doing since WWI

 

[Piecake]

Wouldn't that mean Obama also thought so, since he and the rest of the beltway thought that it was a shoe in for Clinton?

Not necessarily considering that future administrations is a plural and includes all future administrations, not just the next one.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

We're the bad guys

 

[Maxinas]

Time to start digging my underground safe-house.

 

[Acorn]

Trump was never a hero.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Trump was never a hero.

I was thinking of Harvey Dent as the United States, my reply was to "We're the bad guys"

 

[Button]

I heard Obama upgraded the White House to wireless N, so Trump is going revert back to wireless G.

 

[Spladam]

Nobody should be surprised, this is the same guy who said it should be acceptable to kill the families of terrorist.

 

[Acorn]

I was thinking of Harvey Dent as the United States, my reply was to "We're the bad guys"

Ahh sorry it's 3am here so I'm even more slow than normal.

 

[Mikef2000]

Trump was never a hero.

If anything, Trump is the Joker( just a much stupider version).

 

[sturgboski]

If anything, Trumo is the Joker( just a much stupider version).

Emo Jared Leto joker crying because no one likes him.

 

[PantherLotus]

did i just read that obama 'started' drone strikes? LOL

 

[akira28]

I mean it's really not that fucking hard right now.

yeah but it isn't Trump Easy. He wants to be able to authorize strikes via text message while he's getting a mani\pedi in his Mar-a-Lago resort compound.

Especially since his last military action blew up in his face. He wants to be able to distance himself as much as possible, and drone strikes are the way to do it.

 

[Got]

maybe he'll accidentally kill himself with it?

 

[aeolist]

But Hillary is a hawk!

just because trump is comically bad doesn't mean this isn't true. she'd be drone striking the shit out of yemen if she'd won.

 

[Acorn]

yeah but it isn't Trump Easy. He wants to be able to authorize strikes via text message while he's getting a manipedi in his Mar-a-Lago resort compound.

Especially since his last military action blew up in his face. He wants to be able to distance himself as much as possible, and drone strikes are the way to do it.

Pfft text message. It'll be hashtags on Twitter.

Watch out Arnie

 

[Unknown Soldier]

maybe he'll accidentally kill himself with it?

Well I mean it's always good to be prepared, maybe he should carve his name on one of the drones and keep it nearby?

 

[Hackworth]

The Obama administration already shot off too many drone missiles, why would Trump want to make it even easier?

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Oh boy, if it wasn't bad enough, the thought of Trump ordering drone strikes is even more terrifying. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if we won't end up hitting allies or ourselves.