Drone strikes require 'near certainty' of target ID

Strikes against high-value terrorist targets require “near certainty” that the individual is who officials think and that civilians will not be killed as collateral damage, according to a newly declassified document that lays out how strikes are approved.

The document, which was posted online late on Friday, governs how the U.S. can nominate and approve drone and traditional strikes against terrorists outside the United States. It lays out the restrictive rules of engagement that have drawn some criticism from Capitol Hill in the fight against the Islamic State.