On drones, Obama is Bush

On the use of drones for targeted killing, Obama’s policy is Bush’s policy, argues Seattle Times columnist Bruce Ramsey.

By Bruce Ramsey

Times editorial columnist

Concerning the acceptance of aerial drones to kill individuals, what is the difference between George W. Bush and Barack Obama?

“Zero,” says Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations.

President Bush authorized about 50 non-battlefield drone strikes. President Obama, who has more drones to fight with, has launched more than five times as many drone strikes, all in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The count at year-end from both was 411 strikes and 3,430 dead, according to Zenko’s new paper, “Reforming U.S. Drone Strike Policies.”

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