Debate on Terrorist Strikes
Segment #699
There is a legitimate debate to be had over presidential powers. What is not legitimate in this debate is switching sides constantly depending on whether your team holds the presidency. I supported Obama taking out Anwar al-Awlaki who was an American citizen waging a terrorist war against the US from Yemen. He was not afforded due process… nor should he have been. As a talking point, it bolsters the argument to limit presidential power when Obama was in power. Of course the Dems argued vociferously against this and supported ignoring all of the 500 plus attacks Obama made against terrorists. But Awlaki is not point here as it serves in reality only to emphasize the blatant lying and hypocrisy on the left that literally demonstrates no integrity or shame for their prostitution of the process. I disagree with Sen Rand Paul on many things; however, I respect his consistency and belief system.
We lost over 50,000 killed in Vietnam. We lose almost double than annually from the drugs brought into this country - some of it facilitated by Biden’s open border policy. Until the Dems prove they have a better solution, they should remain at the children’s table during this holiday.
Public sources do not agree on a single definitive number for how many strikes Barack Obama ordered against terrorist targets, but available estimates are in the several hundreds. One widely cited estimate is that he authorized roughly 500–560 drone and other covert strikes outside of traditional battlefields (mainly in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia) over his two terms.thebureauinvestigates+2
What the main estimates say
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates about 563 covert strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia during Obama’s presidency, roughly ten times more than under George W. Bush.thebureauinvestigates
Another research summary puts the number of U.S. counterterrorism drone strikes under Obama at about 542 over eight years, with several thousand people killed, including hundreds of civilians.yipinstitute
A separate analysis, based on averages from several monitoring groups, reports that Obama authorized about 506 drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia, killing an estimated few thousand suspected militants and several hundred civilians.nytimes
Why there is no single exact number
Counts vary because different organizations define and track “strikes” differently: some include only covert CIA and JSOC drone strikes outside active war zones, while others also count certain airstrikes in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.nytimes+1
The U.S. government has released only partial official data, so independent groups rely on media reports and other open sources, which leads to ranges and slightly different totals.brookings+1
Key takeaway
A reasonable summary is that Obama approved on the order of 500–560 targeted drone or covert strikes against suspected terrorists outside conventional battlefields, with total strike numbers much higher if all airstrikes in active war zones are included.yipinstitute+2