Obama announced new "presidential policy guidelines" last week on the standards his administration has been using when deciding to launch lethal strikes, including a guideline to strike a target only if it presents an "imminent threat" to U.S. national security and only if the target cannot be captured.
In a major policy speech Thursday, President Barack Obama raised the bar for U.S. lethal action against terrorist groups, saying the U.S. will strike only at those who pose an imminent threat to Americans, rather than at terrorists who threaten U.S. allies and interests.