US judges seem skeptical of CIA secrecy of drones

ACLU Freedom of Information Act request,the CIA are in denial mode.

Written by Agencies
Washington | September 21, 2012 10:26 AM IST

1 min read

US appeals court judges are questioning the CIA’s efforts to block information on the use of unmanned drones to kill suspected terrorists.

A lower court federal judge sided with the CIA last year,dismissing a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking records about the use of drones. In response to an ACLU Freedom of Information Act request,the CIA refused to confirm or deny the existence of responsive records.

The ACLU counters that several high-ranking officials,from then-CIA Director Leon Panetta to President Barack Obama,have publicly acknowledged the use of drones.

Judge Merrick Garland suggested at a hearing today that a speech this year by President Barack Obama’s counter-terrorism chief,John Brennan,amounted to an official acknowledgment of the CIA drone programme.

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