The Intercept acquired secret US government documents that showed that the Obam administration conducted drone strikes despite knowledge that the intelligence provided was faulty. Despite “critical shortfalls of capabilities” in surveillance prior to executing drone strikes in Somala and Yemen, the strikes lead to massacres killing hundreds of civilian casualties in operations.

“Long distances to operating areas complicate the ‘fixing’ and ‘finishing’ [high value individuals]. Most objectives in Yemen are 500km away, Somalia can be over 1000 km. Long transits consume 50 percent of [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] flight time and complicate strike planning,” says the leaked document obtained by the Intercept.