MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, The Intercept leaked documents showing the evolution of military drone use between 2011 and 2013 under the authorization of the administration of US President Barack Obama.
"These eye-opening disclosures make a mockery of US government claims that its lethal force operations are based on reliable intelligence and limited to lawful targets. In fact, the government often claims successes that are really tragic losses," ACLU's National Security Project Director Hina Shamsi said, as cited by the union's statement.
According to a leaked data on the US Operation Haymaker in Afghanistan between January 2012 and February 2013, US airstrikes killed over 200 people who were later tagged as "enemies killed in action." Only 35 of those killed were targeted individuals, according to The Intercept.
"The Obama administration’s lethal program desperately needs transparency and accountability because it is undermining the right to life and national security," the statement said.
The United States regularly conducts drone attacks in the Middle East and North Africa against suspected militants. Data collected by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism shows that US drone strikes have killed up to 1,000 civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen over the past 10 years.
The ACLU is currently litigating several Freedom of Information Act lawsuits into the US government killings, as well as the legal basis for its operations, the statement added.
