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UK: 'Specific' terror evidence not necessary for RAF drone strikes

Topic
Internal security Military Law Terrorism
Country/Region
UK

16 January 2017

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"“Specific” advance evidence of a terror plot threatening UK interests is not legally necessary before launching pre-emptive drone strikes against suspects overseas, according to the the attorney general.

In a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Jeremy Wright QC denied that the threshold for self-defence was being “watered down” but said not knowing the target, type or time of a terrorist attack should not prevent military action."

See the article: 'Specific' terror evidence not necessary for RAF drone strikes (The Guardian, link)

Wright has said that he is adopting the series of tests set out in: Principles relevant to the scope of a state's right of self-defence against an imminent or actual armed attack by nonstate actors (pdf) by Daniel Bethlehem.

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