Afghanistan Times
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Kabul: Senior US officials announced that President Joe Biden has signed a secret executive order that limits counterterrorism drone strikes outside of “conventional” war zones, including in Afghanistan.
According to New York Times, adding a suspected terrorist to the list of people who can be targeted for “direct action” now requires Biden’s approval, while the Trump administration had given more freedom to war commanders.
Currently, only Iraq and Syria are considered conventional war zones where the new rules do not apply.
Commanders in those countries have more freedom to order airstrikes or counter-terrorist strikes without White House approval, a US official said.
The New York Times wrote that according to the new order, US operations will be limited in several other countries where it has carried out drone strikes in recent years, including Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, as well as Pakistan’s tribal region.
It should be noted that the US airstrikes have continued after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Officials of Taliban interim government says that American drones enter Afghanistan through Pakistan’s airspace, and Islamabad receives money from Washington in exchange for this permission.
