John Brennan: Tell the Whole Truth About Drone Strikes

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White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan has publicly acknowledged the Obama administration's use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists in countries with which the United States is not at war. But Brennan didn't tell the whole truth about the CIA drone strikes. Brennan claimed that "the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qaeda terrorists." What Brennan didn't say was that the CIA has launched drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen without knowing who would be killed, against people who are not on any list of "suspected terrorists."

Sign our petition demanding that White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan tell the American people the whole truth about CIA drone strikes.

John Brennan
Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

Dear Mr. Brennan:

We urge you to tell the American people the whole truth about CIA drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen.

While you have publicly stated that "the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qaeda terrorists," the New York Times and the Washington Post have reported that the CIA has conducted drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen against unknown people who are not on any list of suspected terrorists, but merely fit a "profile" of suspected terrorist activity, according to intelligence reports. U.S. officials have said that such "signature strikes" increase the risk of killing civilians, and the risk of killing people who have had nothing to do with attacks on the United States, enmeshing America in other people's civil wars.

The existence of such "signature strikes" is also crucial to the question of whether CIA drone strikes are legal under the 2001 authorization of military force. Congress authorized the use of force against the people responsible for the September 11 attacks and those who harbored them, not against unknown people who fit a profile of suspected terrorist activity according to intelligence reports.

Mr. Brennan, tell the American people the whole truth about CIA drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.
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    • 1-25 of 2635 signatures
    Number Date Name Location Add your comments here:
    2635 Sat May 04 21:40:22 EDT 2013 Carol De Marinis Ranchos de Taos, NM This is not the action of a free democratic nation that respects human life.
    2634 Fri Feb 22 16:40:39 EST 2013 Kirstie Campbell Honolulu, HI
    2633 Fri Feb 15 16:37:14 EST 2013 Anonymous Onxard, CA
    2632 Fri Feb 08 18:41:15 EST 2013 alain vanhorne san pablo, CA
    2631 Thu Feb 07 21:08:33 EST 2013 Gwen Davis Hale Kittery, NH
    2630 Thu Feb 07 15:35:10 EST 2013 Daryl Purchase FL
    2629 Wed Feb 06 22:58:14 EST 2013 Thomas LaClair IL
    2628 Wed Feb 06 12:32:49 EST 2013 Susan Curtiss Los Angeles, CA
    2627 Wed Feb 06 09:38:18 EST 2013 Jazmin Bullock MD We need more honest,and caring people that care about the lives of other people. On our soil, or not.
    2626 Wed Feb 06 09:06:25 EST 2013 Sher Thomson CA
    2625 Wed Feb 06 00:48:16 EST 2013 Tri Le HI If we aren't able to give these suspects a fair trial, the least we can do is provide some form of due process and transparency. When the powers of the judicial branch and legislative branch are ignored, More....
    2624 Wed Jan 23 11:12:22 EST 2013 Shawn Lewis Bloomington, IN Drones should be used to gather intelligence only. Drones have killed many women, children and elderly people. Please stop "death from the skies"
    2623 Sun Jan 20 16:38:44 EST 2013 Ed Flaherty Iowa City, IA
    2622 Thu Jan 10 09:13:05 EST 2013 Jerise Fogel New York, NY
    2621 Wed Jan 09 16:56:44 EST 2013 Laura Wilder Garland, TX
    2620 Wed Jan 09 16:56:43 EST 2013 Laura Wilder Garland, TX
    2619 Tue Jan 08 18:06:45 EST 2013 Anthony Garringer Ardmore, OK NO MOre death no more torture and illegality
    2618 Tue Jan 08 14:54:33 EST 2013 Ron Magoc PA
    2617 Mon Jan 07 20:45:49 EST 2013 Frances Hogan Vashon, WA The blowback from drone strikes is going to be enormous. United States citizens have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent.
    2616 Mon Jan 07 12:26:43 EST 2013 Emily Duxbury Fresno, CA
    2615 Sat Dec 01 13:28:26 EST 2012 Bahri Aliriza Sterling, VA
    2614 Fri Nov 09 12:58:31 EST 2012 Elaine Casaregola Lanham, MD
    2613 Wed Nov 07 16:24:03 EST 2012 Anonymous DE
    2612 Fri Nov 02 21:54:17 EDT 2012 Anonymous Southbridge , MA Please end the drone strikes.
    2611 Wed Oct 24 11:20:45 EDT 2012 Bahri Aliriza Sterling, VA
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