Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern
Drone War Expansion: Relaxed Rules of Engagement and Surging Civilian Casualties
Trump granted the military broader strike authority, designated large areas as 'Areas of Active Hostility' enabling expanded strike approvals, removed mandatory civilian harm mitigation steps, and stopped requiring senior White House approval for counterterrorism strikes. Amnesty International, Airwars and the UN documented civilian casualties across Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan.