Obama will reportedly let more countries buy American drones. President Barack Obama’s administration will soon allow “widespread” export of armed unmanned aerial vehicles, The Washington Post reports. “The technology is here to stay,” an anonymous State Department official is quoted as saying about the changes, which will reportedly be announced today. “It’s to our benefit to have certain allies and partners equipped appropriately.” According to the Post, the new rules are classified, but foreign governments who want to purchase armed or unarmed drones from US companies will be approved on a case-by-case basis within “months, but not years,” in a framework similar to other arms sales. Countries must agree to “proper use” principles that ban them from using drones to illegally spy on or attack their own citizens, among other things, and US will have the right to monitor how the drones are used.
