Trump Revokes Order Forcing Officials to Report on Civilian Deaths in Strikes

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – President Donald Trump has revoked an Executive Order that required the US administration to provide public reports on the number of civilians killed in military strikes outside of war zones, the White House announced on Wednesday.

“Revocation of Reporting Requirement. Section 3 of Executive Order 13732 is hereby revoked,” Trump said in an Executive Order, which cancelled part of an order issued by former President Barack Obama.

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Section 3 of Executive Order 13732 required the Director of National Intelligence to release by 1 May each year an unclassified summary of the number of strikes undertaken by the US government against terrorist targets outside of war zones.

Obama's order also required the DNI to present assessments of combatant and non-combatant deaths resulting from military strikes, among other information.

The White House did not immediately provide an explanation for the change in policy.

The United States regularly conducts drone strikes and other attacks in countries such as Libya, Somalia and Yemen where Congress has not officially declared war.