The Central Intelligence Agency has in the recent months been pushing to expand powers to carry out more covert drone strikes in areas habited by terrorists both in the Middle East and Africa. The push is in the form of a proposal presented to the Pentagon, and President Donald Trump which id signed will give the agency authority to conduct air strikes against al Qaeda elements.
Until now, the Pentagon has had the lead role of conducting airstrikes — with drones or other aircraft — against militants in Afghanistan and other conflict zones, such as Somalia and Libya and, to some extent, Yemen. The military publicly acknowledges its strikes, unlike the CIA, which for roughly a decade has carried out its campaign of covert drone strikes in Pakistan that were not acknowledged by either country, a condition that Pakistan’s government has long insisted on.
If Trumps’ current record is anything to go by, he is likely to approve the proposal as he has been seen to take a more proactive direction with the military missions abroad. The same was asserted after he authorized the increase of troops in Afghanistan.
The CIA has taken credit for decapitating the Al Qaeda, and the move is said to defeat the organization and its affiliates across the globe further. The proposal is also welcome news as intelligence sources say that the al Qaeda has been regrouping in the Middle East following the weakening of ISIS.
