Topic: Presidential Policy Directive

The Obama administration released a fact sheet regarding the Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on the use of lethal force in counter-terrorism operations outside active hostilities. President Obama defended the 2011 drone strike on U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki by comparing him to a sniper firing on a crowd. Critics argue that the administration attempted to kill al-Awlaki as early as 2009, well before the specific allegations used to justify his eventual execution were established.