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| Obama Narrows Scope of Terror Fight | Obama Narrows Scope of Terror Fight |
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| WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced new restraints on targeted killings and narrowed the scope of the long struggle with terrorists as part of a transition to a day he envisions when the nation will no longer be on the war footing it has been on since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. | WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced new restraints on targeted killings and narrowed the scope of the long struggle with terrorists as part of a transition to a day he envisions when the nation will no longer be on the war footing it has been on since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. |
| In a widely anticipated speech at the National Defense University, Mr. Obama offered his most expansive defense of the drone war he has waged since taking office, but he signaled that he planned to wind down the strikes, which have stirred controversy at home and abroad. He imposed a higher standard on authorizing such aerial attacks and shifted responsibility more from the C.I.A. to the military, and he suggested the creation of a secret court that would have to sign off on strikes in the future. | In a widely anticipated speech at the National Defense University, Mr. Obama offered his most expansive defense of the drone war he has waged since taking office, but he signaled that he planned to wind down the strikes, which have stirred controversy at home and abroad. He imposed a higher standard on authorizing such aerial attacks and shifted responsibility more from the C.I.A. to the military, and he suggested the creation of a secret court that would have to sign off on strikes in the future. |
| Mr. Obama also called on Congress to revise the authorization of force it passed in the aftermath of Sept. 11 to reflect the changing nature of the war on terrorism. And he renewed his moribund effort to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by saying that he would lift a moratorium on transferring scores of detainees to Yemen. | Mr. Obama also called on Congress to revise the authorization of force it passed in the aftermath of Sept. 11 to reflect the changing nature of the war on terrorism. And he renewed his moribund effort to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by saying that he would lift a moratorium on transferring scores of detainees to Yemen. |
| Taken together, the president’s words and deeds added up to an effort to move the country away from the perpetual war on terrorism envisioned by his predecessor, George W. Bush, toward a more limited campaign against particular groups that would eventually be curtailed even if the threat of terrorism could never be eliminated. | Taken together, the president’s words and deeds added up to an effort to move the country away from the perpetual war on terrorism envisioned by his predecessor, George W. Bush, toward a more limited campaign against particular groups that would eventually be curtailed even if the threat of terrorism could never be eliminated. |
| “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue,” Mr. Obama said. “But this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” | “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue,” Mr. Obama said. “But this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” |
| Mr. Obama rejected the notion of an expansive war on terrorism and instead articulated a narrower understanding of the mission for the United States. “Beyond Afghanistan, we must define our effort not as a boundless ‘global war on terror’ but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America,” he said. | Mr. Obama rejected the notion of an expansive war on terrorism and instead articulated a narrower understanding of the mission for the United States. “Beyond Afghanistan, we must define our effort not as a boundless ‘global war on terror’ but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America,” he said. |
| “Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror,” Mr. Obama added. “We will never erase the evil that lies in the hearts of some human beings, nor stamp out every danger to our open society. But what we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger to us, and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all the while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend.” | “Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror,” Mr. Obama added. “We will never erase the evil that lies in the hearts of some human beings, nor stamp out every danger to our open society. But what we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger to us, and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all the while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend.” |
| The president’s moves stirred immediate skepticism among Republicans, who have long questioned whether he was playing down the continuing threat of terrorism for political reasons, as in the case of the attack on the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, last year. | The president’s moves stirred immediate skepticism among Republicans, who have long questioned whether he was playing down the continuing threat of terrorism for political reasons, as in the case of the attack on the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, last year. |
| Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, issued 10 questions to the president in reaction to previews of his speech. “Is it still your administration’s goal to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda?” he asked. “If you are scaling back the use of unmanned drones, which actions will you be taking as a substitute to ensure Al Qaeda’s defeat? Is it your view that if the U.S. is less aggressive in eliminating terrorists abroad, the threat of terrorist attacks will diminish on its own?” | Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, issued 10 questions to the president in reaction to previews of his speech. “Is it still your administration’s goal to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda?” he asked. “If you are scaling back the use of unmanned drones, which actions will you be taking as a substitute to ensure Al Qaeda’s defeat? Is it your view that if the U.S. is less aggressive in eliminating terrorists abroad, the threat of terrorist attacks will diminish on its own?” |
| Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, was sharper in reaction. “The president’s speech today will be viewed by terrorists as a victory,” he said. “Rather than continuing successful counterterrorism activities, we are changing course with no clear operational benefit.” | Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, was sharper in reaction. “The president’s speech today will be viewed by terrorists as a victory,” he said. “Rather than continuing successful counterterrorism activities, we are changing course with no clear operational benefit.” |
| A woman in the audience interrupted Mr. Obama during his speech, shouting that he should release Guantánamo detainees, stop C.I.A. drone strikes and apologize to Muslims killed by American forces. “Abide by the rule of law!” the woman, Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of the antiwar group Code Pink, yelled as security personnel removed her from the auditorium. “You’re a constitutional lawyer!” | |
| Mr. Obama then went off script. “The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to,” he said. “Obviously I do not agree with much of what she said. And obviously she wasn’t listening to me and much of what I said. But these are tough issues. And the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong.” | |
| As part of its shift in approach, the administration on Wednesday formally acknowledged for the first time that it had killed four American citizens in drone strikes outside the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, arguing that its actions were justified by the danger to the United States. Mr. Obama approved providing new information to Congress and the public about the rules governing his attacks on Al Qaeda and its allies. | As part of its shift in approach, the administration on Wednesday formally acknowledged for the first time that it had killed four American citizens in drone strikes outside the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, arguing that its actions were justified by the danger to the United States. Mr. Obama approved providing new information to Congress and the public about the rules governing his attacks on Al Qaeda and its allies. |
| A new classified policy guidance signed by Mr. Obama will sharply curtail the instances when unmanned aircraft can be used to attack in places that are not overt war zones, countries like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The rules will impose the same standard for strikes on foreign enemies now used only for American citizens deemed to be terrorists. | A new classified policy guidance signed by Mr. Obama will sharply curtail the instances when unmanned aircraft can be used to attack in places that are not overt war zones, countries like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The rules will impose the same standard for strikes on foreign enemies now used only for American citizens deemed to be terrorists. |
| Lethal force will be used only against targets who pose “a continuing, imminent threat to Americans” and cannot feasibly be captured, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a letter to Congress, suggesting that threats to a partner like Afghanistan or Yemen alone would not be enough to justify being targeted. | Lethal force will be used only against targets who pose “a continuing, imminent threat to Americans” and cannot feasibly be captured, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a letter to Congress, suggesting that threats to a partner like Afghanistan or Yemen alone would not be enough to justify being targeted. |
| “As our fight enters a new phase, America’s legitimate claim of self-defense cannot be the end of the discussion,” Mr. Obama said. “To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance. For the same human progress that gives us the technology to strike half a world away also demands the discipline to constrain that power — or risk abusing it.” | “As our fight enters a new phase, America’s legitimate claim of self-defense cannot be the end of the discussion,” Mr. Obama said. “To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance. For the same human progress that gives us the technology to strike half a world away also demands the discipline to constrain that power — or risk abusing it.” |
| The new standard could signal an end to “signature strikes,” or attacks on groups of unknown men based only on their presumed status as members of Al Qaeda or some other enemy group — an approach that administration critics say has resulted in many civilian casualties. Although officials did not explicitly rule out such strikes in the future, they said the requirements for authorizing them were increased and the need for them was reduced. | The new standard could signal an end to “signature strikes,” or attacks on groups of unknown men based only on their presumed status as members of Al Qaeda or some other enemy group — an approach that administration critics say has resulted in many civilian casualties. Although officials did not explicitly rule out such strikes in the future, they said the requirements for authorizing them were increased and the need for them was reduced. |
| As part of the shift, the president has decided that the military should take over the drone program from the C.I.A. In briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity on Thursday, an official said that the C.I.A. would not necessarily give up involvement in such strikes, but that “the preference” would be for the military to have “the lead for the use of force not just in war zones like Afghanistan but beyond Afghanistan, where we are fighting Al Qaeda and associated forces.” | As part of the shift, the president has decided that the military should take over the drone program from the C.I.A. In briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity on Thursday, an official said that the C.I.A. would not necessarily give up involvement in such strikes, but that “the preference” would be for the military to have “the lead for the use of force not just in war zones like Afghanistan but beyond Afghanistan, where we are fighting Al Qaeda and associated forces.” |
| The C.I.A., which has overseen the drone war in the tribal areas of Pakistan and elsewhere, will generally cede its role to the military after a six-month transition period as forces draw down in Afghanistan, other officials said Wednesday. Drone strikes have already been decreasing in the past few years as targets have been killed and opposition has grown. John O. Brennan, the new C.I.A. director, has been eager to shift the agency more toward espionage, intelligence gathering and analysis and away from the paramilitary mission it has adopted since Sept. 11. | The C.I.A., which has overseen the drone war in the tribal areas of Pakistan and elsewhere, will generally cede its role to the military after a six-month transition period as forces draw down in Afghanistan, other officials said Wednesday. Drone strikes have already been decreasing in the past few years as targets have been killed and opposition has grown. John O. Brennan, the new C.I.A. director, has been eager to shift the agency more toward espionage, intelligence gathering and analysis and away from the paramilitary mission it has adopted since Sept. 11. |
| The changes reflect a conclusion by the White House that the core of Al Qaeda has been decimated by years of strikes and the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. But in the speech, the president said that the threat had evolved in a complicated mosaic of dangers from affiliated groups and homegrown terrorists, like the bombers who attacked the Boston Marathon. | The changes reflect a conclusion by the White House that the core of Al Qaeda has been decimated by years of strikes and the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. But in the speech, the president said that the threat had evolved in a complicated mosaic of dangers from affiliated groups and homegrown terrorists, like the bombers who attacked the Boston Marathon. |
| The president had been planning to deliver the speech for months to address criticism from both left and right, hoping, according to aides, to acknowledge more explicitly than ever before the complicated trade-offs and legitimate debate that his policies had provoked. But he hoped to make the case that his drone strikes had caused far fewer civilian casualties than traditional and less discriminate military force. | The president had been planning to deliver the speech for months to address criticism from both left and right, hoping, according to aides, to acknowledge more explicitly than ever before the complicated trade-offs and legitimate debate that his policies had provoked. But he hoped to make the case that his drone strikes had caused far fewer civilian casualties than traditional and less discriminate military force. |
| The president embraced the idea of a secret court to oversee drone strikes, much like the intelligence court that authorizes secret wiretaps, or instead perhaps some sort of independent body within the executive branch. He did not outline a specific proposal, but left it to Congress to consider something along those lines. | The president embraced the idea of a secret court to oversee drone strikes, much like the intelligence court that authorizes secret wiretaps, or instead perhaps some sort of independent body within the executive branch. He did not outline a specific proposal, but left it to Congress to consider something along those lines. |
| He also weighed in on the dispute over the Justice Department’s seizure of journalists’ phone and e-mail records in pursuing national security leak investigations. He said he had talked with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who agreed to review department guidelines and meet with media executives and report back by July 12. | He also weighed in on the dispute over the Justice Department’s seizure of journalists’ phone and e-mail records in pursuing national security leak investigations. He said he had talked with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who agreed to review department guidelines and meet with media executives and report back by July 12. |
| “I am troubled by the possibility that leak investigations may chill the investigative journalism that holds government accountable,” Mr. Obama said. “Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs.” | “I am troubled by the possibility that leak investigations may chill the investigative journalism that holds government accountable,” Mr. Obama said. “Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs.” |
| In renewing his vow to close the Guantánamo prison, Mr. Obama highlighted one of his most prominent unkept promises. He came into office promising to shutter the facility, which has been a symbol around the world of American excesses, within a year, but Congress moved to block him, and he then largely dropped the effort. | In renewing his vow to close the Guantánamo prison, Mr. Obama highlighted one of his most prominent unkept promises. He came into office promising to shutter the facility, which has been a symbol around the world of American excesses, within a year, but Congress moved to block him, and he then largely dropped the effort. |
| With 166 detainees still at the prison, Mr. Obama said he would take what steps he could with his own authority to reduce the population. The largest group of detainees remaining are from Yemen, and he decided to lift the moratorium he imposed on transferring those prisoners back to their home country. | With 166 detainees still at the prison, Mr. Obama said he would take what steps he could with his own authority to reduce the population. The largest group of detainees remaining are from Yemen, and he decided to lift the moratorium he imposed on transferring those prisoners back to their home country. |
| The moratorium was first enacted because of the volatile nature of the government in Yemen and the fear that prisoners would be released and rejoin terrorist groups targeting the United States. But with a new president in Yemen, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, one White House official said the United States now “has a willing and increasingly able partner,” and so the president felt assured enough to resume transfers. | The moratorium was first enacted because of the volatile nature of the government in Yemen and the fear that prisoners would be released and rejoin terrorist groups targeting the United States. But with a new president in Yemen, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, one White House official said the United States now “has a willing and increasingly able partner,” and so the president felt assured enough to resume transfers. |
| Mr. Obama will also appoint a new high-level State Department official to replace Dan Fried, who oversaw the effort to reduce the Guantánamo prison population in the first term, and the president will also assign a top official at the Defense Department to work toward the goal. | Mr. Obama will also appoint a new high-level State Department official to replace Dan Fried, who oversaw the effort to reduce the Guantánamo prison population in the first term, and the president will also assign a top official at the Defense Department to work toward the goal. |
| Republicans reacted cautiously, saying that Mr. Obama had not been serious about proposing a credible alternative to Guantánamo. “I am open to a proposal from the president regarding Guantánamo Bay, but that plan has to consist of more than political talking points,” said Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “The president doesn’t need to remind Americans that Guantánamo is an imperfect solution, we all know that. He must offer solid answers about what he thinks is a better option.” | Republicans reacted cautiously, saying that Mr. Obama had not been serious about proposing a credible alternative to Guantánamo. “I am open to a proposal from the president regarding Guantánamo Bay, but that plan has to consist of more than political talking points,” said Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “The president doesn’t need to remind Americans that Guantánamo is an imperfect solution, we all know that. He must offer solid answers about what he thinks is a better option.” |