Most Americans approve drone strikes on terrorists

Most Americans are in favor of strikes drone terrorists, including if the terrorist is a US citizen. Such data revealed a new survey of the Associated Press and GFK.

According to the survey, "almost three-quarters of Americans say that it is acceptable for the US to use unmanned aerial vehicles to destroy American citizens abroad if these citizens are members of terrorist organizations."

The results of the survey were published just a week after the White House reported on the murder of two Americans, who were in Al Qaeda, during two counter-terrorist operations.

US President Barack Obama expressed regret that in the course of the operation, which had eliminated the leader of al-Qaida, Ahmed Farouk, two hostages were also killed - American Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto. The terrorists held hostages near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. According to a US government spokesman, they were killed on January 14 during aerial drone attacks. As a result of another operation in January, the American Adam Gadan, who played the role of the representative of Al-Qaida, was killed.

The survey was conducted from 23 to 27 April - after how Obama apologized.

"Most Americans, six out of ten, support the use of drones to fight terrorists in general," the Associated Press report said Friday. At the same time, 13% oppose the use of UAVs, and 24% do not have a clear position on this issue.

Officials rarely publicly discuss the UAV program that the Central Intelligence Agency is conducting.

According to the US authorities, the attacks during which Faruk and Gadan were killed were not directed specifically against them.

“Although both Farouk and Ghadan were members of al-Qaida, neither was a specific target of the strikes,” the White House said last week, adding that authorities had “no information indicating their presence at the sites.” operations."