New Biden counterterror strategy puts limits on drone use

By ZEKE MILLER
AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday formally issued new guidance curtailing the use of armed drones outside of war zones as part of a new counterterrorism strategy that places a greater priority on protecting civilian lives. The new policies require presidential approval before a suspected terrorist is added to the U.S. government’s target list for potential lethal action such as drone strikes or special raids. That’s according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the classified memoranda. The new guidance returns U.S. policies to where they were at the end of the Obama administration. It reverses former President Donald Trump’s more permissive rules that allowed lower-level officials more leeway when launching deadly strikes.