In his big policy speech today, President Obama did indeed promise to rein in drone strikes—a higher threshold for targets will be required, along with a "near certainty" that no civilians will be killed—and to push once again for Gitmo's closure. The full text is here. Some highlights:
- On Gitmo: “History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism, and those of us who fail to end it."
- Terror threat: "Now make no mistake: our nation is still threatened by terrorists. From Benghazi to Boston, we have been tragically reminded of that truth. We must recognize, however, that the threat has shifted and evolved from the one that came to our shores on 9/11."
- 'Crossroads': "America is at a crossroads. We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us, mindful of James Madison’s warning that 'No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.'"
- When it's OK to kill an American: "When a US citizen goes abroad to wage war against America—and is actively plotting to kill US citizens; and when neither the United States, nor our partners are in a position to capture him before he carries out a plot—his citizenship should no more serve as a shield than a sniper shooting down on an innocent crowd should be protected from a SWAT team."
- Journalists: They should not be “at legal risk for doing their jobs," and Obama said he has raised concerns with the attorney general about "overreaching." Those who should be punished are government officials who "break the law” by leaking classified information.