Use of drones under fire

The legal justification for the use of unmanned aerial drones to strike targets inside countries at peace with the United States is under fire, scholars say.

Legal scholars at the United Nations and leading academic institutions question whether Washington is acting within the bounds of international law by launching attacks on militant targets in countries not at war with the United States.

Harold Koh, a legal adviser to the U.S. State Department, claims the United States is justified "under international law" to defend itself against terrorists planning attacks on U.S. national interests, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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