US President Barack Obama intends to use a speech at a military college this week to outline Ëœlegal frameworkâ„¢ of his counterterrorism policy, including the secret targeted-killing program and the use of assassination drones in Muslim countries.
In an address to the countryâ„¢s National Defense University on Thursday, Obama will Å“review the state of the threats we face, particularly as the al-Qaeda core has weakened but new dangers have emerged,” The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing Å“a White House official” speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The report, however, does not elaborate on what Obama considers as Ëœnew dangers.â„¢
Obama will Å“discuss our broad counterterrorism policy, including our military, diplomatic, intelligence and legal effort” as well as Å“the policy and legal framework under which we take action against terrorist threats, including the use of drones,” the daily adds, quoting the unnamed official.
According to the report, Obama further plans to speak about the infamous Guantanamo detention and torture camp, his detention policy, and renewed bids to shut down the controversial military prison.
Å“And he will review out detention policy and efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,” the official was further cited as saying.
The dailyâ„¢s White House source is also quoted as claiming that Obama has used Å“all tools of national power in an aggressive campaign to degrade and ultimately defeat” the shadowy al-Qaeda elements, who are widely believed to be closely tied to one of Washingtonâ„¢s closest Arab allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabi rulers.
The official further claimed that Obama has also insisted on enlisting Å“our values in this fight and act in line with the rule of law.”
This is while the Obama administration has come under growing world-wide condemnation for what has been deemed as highly secret and unlawful Å“counterterrorism” policy of employing assassination drones in a growing number of Muslim countries to kill Ëœsuspected terrorist,â„¢ including American citizens.
In the Thursday speech, the official added, Obama Å“will frame the future of our efforts against al-Qaeda, its affiliates and adherents.”
The American president will deliver his speech this week amid mounting criticism over his Justice Departmentâ„¢s bid to secretly gain access to phone records of US-based journalists working for the Associated Press News Agency as part of a federal probe into Å“national security leaks within the administration, the report said.
It further adds that Obama had intended to deliver the speech earlier this month, but postponed it due to Å“mounting concerns over a prisoner hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay and more recently the Justice Department leaks investigation – both of which the Ëœrevised speechâ„¢ may address.”
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This article originally appeared on : Press TV