Trump Scraps Obama Order to Report Intel-linked Civilian Deaths

Trump Scraps Obama Order to Report Intel-linked Civilian Deaths

March 6, 2019, 6:28 PM

Trump Scraps Obama Order to Report Intel-linked Civilian Deaths

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, March 5, 2019.
FILE – U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, March 5, 2019.

President Donald Trump has tossed out an Obama executive order requiring intelligence agencies to report civilian deaths caused by operations in non-combat areas.

Former President Barack Obama's 2016 order mostly applied to civilian casualties caused by drone attacks on terrorists in countries where the U.S. is not directly involved in a war.

The White House said at the time that greater transparency is "the right thing to do" and the best way to legitimize counterterrorism operations to U.S. allies.

Trump's executive order revoking the Obama policy says the unclassified reporting of civilian casualties may include what he calls a "classified annex," which the Pentagon could consider a threat to national security.

A White House spokesman said Wednesday that Trump's order eliminates "superfluous" reporting that does not "improve transparency but rather distorts our intelligence professionals from their primary mission."

But a security expert at the Federation of American Scientists, Steven Aftergood, says the White House is just being "coy."

"They're not saying, 'We don't want to report CIA operation casualties,' but that's what they're doing," he said.

Amnesty International calls the Trump order "shameful," and says it lets the administration shroud itself in "even more secrecy … and in complete disregard of fundamental human rights."

VOA's Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

Original Article

JOIN US THIS WEEKEND FOR OUR STUDENT ACTION SUMMIT (SAS) LIVE COVERAGE

STUDENT ACTION SUMMIT (SAS) 2025

THE DAWN OF LIBERTY - INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

AMERICA 250 - A NEW ERA OF AMERICAN GREATNESS

Join us for this special presentation by America 250 "A New Era Of American Greatness", Thursday at 3PM ET.

WATCH BRICS 2025: THE RIO RESET

CATCH THE LATEST STEVE GRUBER SHOW

WATCH THE AMERICAN SUNRISE SHOW M-F AT 7AM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST EDITION OF WAR ROOM WITH STEVE BANNON

CATCH THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW M-F AT 12NOON ET.

HUMAN EVENTS DAILYWITH JACK POSOBIEC

CATCH THE LATEST AMERICA'S VOICE LIVE SHOW

JOIN THE ERIC BOLLING SHOW M-F AT 4PM ET.

THE GRANT STINCHFIELD TONIGHT SHOW M-F AT 7PM ET.

LIVE FROM STUDIO 6B M-F AT 8PM ET.

TURNING POINT TONIGHT SHOW M-TH AT 10PM ET.

WATCH THIS WEEK'S BREAKING POINT WITH DAVID ZERE

CATCH THE ROYCE WHITE SHOW EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT 9AM ET.

WATCH AMERICA SHINES WITH AUBREY SHINES SATURDAYS AT 2PM ET.

LAST CALL WITH MIKE CRISPI - SATURDAYS AT 8PM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST LAW & BORDER WITH BEN BERGQUAM

WATCH THE LATEST COWBOY LOGIC BARN PARTY

WATCH THE SHEMANE NUGENT FAITH & FREEDOM SHOW SUNDAYS AT 10AM ET.

MEDIA EXPOSED WITH ADAM WEISS SUNDAYS AT 6PM ET.

SUNDAY IN AMERICA WITH BRIAN GLENN AT 7PM ET.

JOIN US ON GETTR!

CHECK OUT THE LATEST TED NUGENT SPIRIT CAMPFIRE SHOW

JOIN US IN LIVE CHAT 24/7 ON RUMBLE

JOIN US ON OUR 24/7 LIVE RUMBLE STREAM