US President Barack Obama today defended the use of drones as a "just war" of self-defence against terrorist as he outlined the future of his counter-terrorism policies.
Obama defended drone strikes, saying they "have saved lives" by eliminating terrorists, and are a legal part of a "just war" against their organisations.
There have been civilian casualties that "haunt" him, Obama said, but that risk must be balanced against the threat from terrorist groups that are specifically targeting civilians.
"Doing nothing is not an option," he said.
"We are at war with an organisation that right now would kill as many Americans as they could if we did not stop them first," he said in Thursday's address at the National Defence University here.
"So this is a just war - a war waged proportionally, in last resort, and in self-defence."
The armed drone has become the signature weapon in America's "war on terror". But their use raises a variety of complex legal and ethical issues, quite apart from practical arguments as to whether the drone strikes themselves are effective.
In a sweeping speech, Obama also outlined new rules or overseas drone strikes and revamped efforts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Obama sought to reframe his counterterrorism strategy saying that "America is at a crossroads."
"We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us, mindful of James Madison's warning that 'No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.' Neither I, nor any president, can promise the total defeat of terror," he said.
"We must define our effort not as a boundless 'global war on terror' - but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America. In many cases, this will involve partnerships with other countries.
