CIA Given More Flexibility With Drone Strikes In Tribal Areas

The Obama administration has given the CIA more leeway to step up the unmanned aerial vehicle campaign against militants based in northwest Pakistan, reports the Los Angeles Times.

As ties with Islamabad continue to be strained, the U.S. government is authorizing strikes that previously might have been vetoed so not to anger officials in Pakistan, said a senior U.S. official.

Officials noted that the CIA has launched eight Predator drone strikes since Pakistani President Asif...