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US drone strikes being used as alternative to Guantánamo, lawyer says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/02/us-drone-strikes-guantanamoUS drone strikes being used as alternative to Guantánamo, lawyer says
Dan Roberts in Washington
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday 2 May 2013 09.26 EDT
The lawyer who first drew up White House policy on lethal drone strikes has accused the Obama administration of overusing them because of its reluctance to capture prisoners that would otherwise have to be sent to Guantánamo Bay.
John Bellinger, who was responsible for drafting the legal framework for targeted drone killings while working for George W Bush after 9/11, said he believed their use had increased since because President Obama was unwilling to deal with the consequences of jailing suspected al-Qaida members.
~snip~
An estimated 4,700 people have now been killed by some 300 US drone attacks in four countries, and the question of the programme's status under international and domestic law remains highly controversial.
~snip~
We are about the only country in the world that thinks we are in an armed conflict with al-Qaida," Bellinger said. "We really need to get on top of this and explain to our allies why it is legal and why it is permissible under international law," he added.