The UK government is facing a legal challenge from human rights campaigners after refusing to publish its full policy on lethal drone strikes, arguing the document is so sensitive that revealing the contents would jeopardise security ties with the US.
Concerns about strikes being deployed outside the boundaries of formal armed conflict were first sparked six years ago, when British citizen Reyaad Khan was killed in Syria by an RAF drone. Since then — and in the wake of further drone killings — MPs and parliamentary committees have repeatedly requested access to the Ministry of Defence’s targeting guidelines, but been refused.
The MoD finally released a highly redacted version of its targeting policy, known as JSP 900, seven months ago in response to freedom of information requests from the activist Ceri Gibbons, supported by legal charity Reprieve.
Read the full story in the Financial Times.