CIA seeks to expand drone fleet

The CIA is asking the White House to approve an expansion of armed drones to address al-Qaeda threats in North Africa and sustain strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, the Washington Post reports.

The CIA’s proposal would be evaluated by a group led by President Obama’s counter­terrorism adviser, John Brennan. If given the green light, the intelligence agency could add as many as 10 drones to bolster a fleet that has ranged between 30 and 35 in the past few years.

The CIA routinely “borrows” the aircraft of the military’s Joint Special Operations Command to carry out strikes, according to the Post. The agency’s request for more drones could indicate that it sees limits to the sharing arrangement, the article signaled.