'perpetual' War On Terror Self-defeating: Obama

'Perpetual' war on terror self-defeating: Obama

May 23, 2013 - Updated 2317 PKT
From Web Edition

WASHINGTON: Declaring America at a ‘‘crossroads’’ in the fight against terrorism, President Barack Obama on Thursday revealed clearer guidelines for the use of deadly drone strikes, including more control by the U.S. military, while leaving key details of the controversial program secret.

The guidance includes requirements that a target must pose a continuing "imminent" threat to Americans, and says lethal action can be used only if a suspect cannot feasibly be captured, and there is a legal basis for acting.

He sought to reset the boundaries of the US counter-terrorism effort in a major speech at the National Defense University after some two weeks of dealing with domestic scandals.

He said the success of American Muslims, and our determination to guard against any encroachments on their civil liberties, is the ultimate rebuke to those who say we are at war with Islam. "This is not a war with Islam", Obama said.

He defended controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy. But he acknowledged the targeted strikes are no "cure-all" and said he is haunted by the civilians unintentionally killed.

Obama also underlined his support for press freedoms in the face of recent criticism of his administration's recent probes to stop leaks of classified information.

Under a new presidential guidance signed recently, the Defense Department will take the lead in launching drones, as opposed to the current practice of the CIA taking charge.

The president also announced a renewed push to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, including lifting a moratorium on prisoner transfers to Yemen. However, shutting the prison will still require help from Republicans reluctant to back Obama’s call to move some detainees to U.S. prisons and try them in civilian courts.

Obama framed his address as an attempt to redefine the nature and scope of terror threats facing the U.S., noting the weakening of al-Qaida and the impending end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

‘‘Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror,’’ Obama said in remarks at the National Defense University. ‘‘What we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger, and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend.’

President Obama warned that a "perpetual" US war on terror, whether through drone strikes, special forces or troop deployments, would be "self-defeating."

The US leader said that such a state would alter America in "troubling ways"

On Guantanamo Bay, He said it hurt the US reputation abroad, adding it also violated the country's founding principles. Obama said it cost a lot: "$150 million each year to imprison 166 people –almost $1 million per prisoner.". (AFP/AP)

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