White House adviser defends drone strikes

White House adviser defends drone strikes

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration publicly justified its use of unmanned drones to target suspected terrorists overseas for the first time Monday, with a top official saying the strikes are conducted "in full accordance with the law."John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top counterrorism adviser said strikes are used when the option of capture is not feasible.

Military officials condemn photos of soldiers posing with body parts

Military officials condemn photos of soldiers posing with body parts

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House and the Pentagon voiced regrets Wednesday, April 18th for newly published photographs that purport to show U.S. troops posing with the bodies of dead insurgents in Afghanistan, with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calling them a violation of America's "core values.''"My apology is on behalf of the Department of Defense and the U.S. government,'' Panetta told a news conference following a NATO meeting in Brussels.At the White House, President Barack Obama's chief spokesman, Jay Carney, echoed Panetta's comments, saying the incident was "reprehensible.''It was the latest in a series of recent Afghan battlefield embarrassments for the United States, and it came at a time when Washington is still working with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul to smooth over strained relations.Carney said the picture-taking incident does not represent the standards of the U.S. military and said that Obama believes the situation needs to be investigated and those responsible held accountable.