Senate Intelligence Committee to See OLC Memos on Targeted Killing of American Citizens

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that the White House has agreed to provide additional opinions from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) related to the targeted killing of American citizens. In response, Human Rights First’s Raha Wala issued the following statement:

“This is a welcome step towards additional congressional oversight of the administration’s targeted killing program, but it’s not enough.  All relevant congressional committees—including the House and Senate Judiciary Committees—should have access to the legal guidance used to justify all targeted killings, not just the targeting of Americans.  It’s also essential that staff with appropriate security clearances have access to this information so they can help members fulfill their oversight roles.  In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised additional transparency into the targeted killing program.  These documents do not go far enough to fulfill that promise. These memos and any others should be made public, with appropriate redactions, to protect legitimate national security interests.”

For more information, See Human Rights First’s blueprint How to Ensure that the U.S. Drone Program Does Not Undermine Human Rights.