How did the Central Intelligence Agency use drones in its campaign against al-Qaeda?

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began using drones for surveillance in 2000, notably spotting Osama bin Laden at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan. Following the September 11 attacks, the agency transitioned to using armed Predator drones, with the first successful killing of an al-Qaeda commander occurring in November 2001.1

The CIA’s drone campaign evolved through two primary methods:
* Personality Strikes: Targeting specific, identified terrorists based on intelligence gathered through surveillance and electronic or human sources.1
* Signature Strikes: Initiated in 2008, these targeted individuals based on suspicious behavior or "patterns of life" rather than confirmed identities.1

While the agency operated these strikes with the tacit consent of several foreign governments, the program faced significant criticism regarding transparency and civilian casualties. In 2013, President Barack Obama established formal policy standards for lethal operations, requiring "near certainty" that targets were present and that non-combatants would not be harmed. The ethical imperative to minimize civilian harm remains a fundamental principle in the conduct of such operations.12