US President Barack Obama downplayed a recent report about the use of US drones in Iraq, indicating that the unmanned aircraft are mainly used for embassy surveillance.
Obama said during an online event on Monday that a New York Times story citing Iraqi officials as expressing outrage over the use of US drones following last year's troop withdrawal was "a little overwritten".
"The truth of the matter is we're not engaging in a bunch of drone attacks inside of Iraq," Obama said.
During the event, hosted by Google+ and YouTube, Obama said that there's some surveillance to make sure that the US embassy compound is protected.
In the same interview, Obama confirmed for the first time that US drones had targeted Taliban and al-Qaida militants on Pakistani soil, a program that has escalated under his administration.
"For the most part, they've been very precise precision strikes against al-Qaida and their affiliates, and we're very careful in terms of how it's been applied," Obama said.
He went on and said that the strikes are "a targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists, who are trying to go in and harm Americans, hit American facilities, American bases."
He said that many strikes were carried out "on al-Qaida operatives in places where the capacities of that military in that country may not be able to get them", such as Pakistan's lawless tribal zone.
"For us to be able to get them in another way would involve probably a lot more intrusive military action than the ones we're already engaging in,” Obama said.
The Times report said the State Department began operating some drones in Iraq last year on a trial basis and stepped up their use after the last US troops left the country in December, ending the nine-year conflict.
The State Department drones carry no weapons and are meant to provide data and images of possible hazards, like public protests or roadblocks, to security forces on the ground, it said.
Questions:
1. What did US President Barack Obama say that the US drones were mainly used for?
2. What did Obama confirm for the first time?
3. When did the last US troops leave Iraq?
Answers:
1. Embassy surveillance.
2. That US drones had targeted Taliban and al-Qaida militants on Pakistani soil.
3. December.
英语基础语法:过去完成时
英语基础语法:过去进行时
涉及状语从句的几种特定时态
判断动词时态的技巧
常见时态考点归纳(高考适用)
过去完成时用法小结
这是根据语境确定时态的一道妙题
与in the past连用的时态
英语基础语法:现在完成时
时态详解:过去进行时
时态详解:现在完成时
两种完成进行时的用法
一般现在时用法详解
过去进行时用法一得
一般现在时表将来的六种用法
时态详解:现在完成进行时
将来完成时用法解说
瞬间动词进行时的用法与意义
英语基础语法:一般过去时
will do与be going to do的用法差别
现在完成时用法详说
英语基础语法:现在进行时
现在进行时用法小结
过去完成时用法详说
一般将来时用法小结
时态详解:过去完成时
将来进行时用法说明
过去完成时与一般过去时的区别
时态详解:一般将来时
This is the first time后的从句通常用什么时态
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