US to disclose casualty count from counterterrorism strikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will disclose how many people have been killed by U.S. drones and counterterrorism strikes since 2009, the White House said Monday, lifting one element of secrecy shrouding the controversial counterterrorism program.

The casualty report marks the latest attempt by Obama to shore up credibility for the drone program, which has attracted fierce criticism from civil rights advocates but plays a key role in Obama's strategy of targeting extremists without encumbering the U.S. in massive on-the-ground military operations.

Civilian deaths from drone strikes have fomented anger among local populations in places like Pakistan, fueling anti-American sentiment that has vexed U.S. efforts to seek greater security cooperation from foreign governments.

U.S. lawmakers and human rights groups have long pressed for more transparency about civilians killed by U.S. drones, but those calls have traditionally faced opposition from the U.S. intelligence community.

Obama's move to shed more light on the drone wars comes as the U.S. struggles to contain extremist groups and violent ideologies that are metastasizing, posing a growing threat in places like Libya even as the U.S. and its partners work to defeat IS fighters in Iraq and Syria.