DRONE WATCH: A Better Drone Policy | Sojourners

DRONE WATCH: A Better Drone Policy

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) writes in a Washington Post op-ed of the many unanswered questions about drone strikes. He points out that:

“The heart of the problem is that our technological capability has far surpassed our policy. As things stand, the executive branch exercises unilateral authority over drone strikes against terrorists abroad.”

And as a way of changing that unilateral authority, he proposes three major points that should be considered by Congress to create a “legal framework to guide executive action.”

“First, we must do more to avoid innocent civilian casualties.

“Second, Congress must require an independent judicial review of any executive-branch 'kill list.'

“Third, the United States must collaborate with the international community to develop a widely accepted set of legal standards.”