The CIA is assessing its lethal force policies related to drug cartels in Mexico and other countries, according to a new CNN report.
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The CIA is assessing its lethal force policies related to drug cartels in Mexico and other
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countries, according to a new CNN report. A U.S. official and other sources close to the matter
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told the outlet the agency is considering what actions it can legally take against drug cartels
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and any possible risks. CNN reported lawyers are looking into the CIA and its officers' liability
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if any American is accidentally killed in an operation. The review doesn't say whether the
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Trump administration ordered the CIA to take these actions. But in January, the administration
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designated a number of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Some U.S. officials told CNN they
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are concerned using lethal force could pose a high risk of collateral damage to Americans in other
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countries. Former officials also raised concerns about possible retaliation from cartels, with
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former Defense Department official Doug Livermore writing in a recent study for the Atlantic Council
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Mexican cartels are not merely criminal organizations. They operate as paramilitary entities with deep financial resources
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global supply chains and sophisticated logistical networks that extend into the United States Cartels are highly likely to retaliate and possess a substantial capacity for terrorism
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that, when coupled with their established presence within the United States, could escalate conflict
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The people familiar with the matter told CNN the CIA may be held accountable for its actions
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against drug cartels, especially if those actions lead to unintended consequences. The U.S. intelligence community's annual threat assessment recently highlighted drug cartels as a major threat for the first time in nearly two decades
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But many national security officials say while cartels pose a significant issue, they aren't a critical threat to the U.S
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The CIA can carry out lethal strikes or assist other nations in doing so as long as it's authorized by the president and complies with U.S. laws governing armed conflict
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including the Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, passed after the September 11th terrorist attacks
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The resolution allows the use of U.S. armed forces in specific circumstances
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Jack Elmer. For all your latest news headlines, download the Straight Arrow News app today
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