Obama Endorses More Oversight Of Drone Strikes

President Barack Obama says his administration is willing to consider accepting increased oversight of lethal drone strikes outside of war zones like Afghanistan.

In a speech on new contours of his counterterrorism strategy, Obama took note Thursday of a number of proposed ways of doing that — including the establishment of an independent oversight board in the executive branch of the government.

He did not endorse any particular proposal but said he will engage Congress in exploring a number of options for increased oversight. He cautioned that some proposals may introduce a layer of bureaucracy into national-security decision-making, without giving the public added confidence in the oversight process.

Obama also said that his administration already briefs Congress on all drone operations.