President Trump has streamlined the process for the US military to carry out airstrikes and raids against terrorist targets by removing policies implemented by former President Joe Biden that limited what commanders could order without executive approval, according to a report.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a directive in Germany earlier this month that officially softened the Biden-era policy constraints and executive oversight needed for airstrikes and the deployment of commandos, CBS News reported on Thursday.
The directive, centered on giving commanders more flexibility, also broadens the scope of individuals the military can target, according to the outlet, which cited US officials.
The move signals a return to the aggressive counterterrorism policies Trump pursued during his first term, which the president insists resulted in the virtual annihilation of the ISIS terror group.
A senior Pentagon official told CBS News that Biden’s policies on military strikes were “carbon copies” of former President Barack Obama’s second-term orders – which focused on targeting the senior leadership of terrorist groups.
The official warned that Trump’s approach carries both “risks and rewards,” noting that it may result in terrorist capabilities being taken out more swiftly but also raises the chances of civilian casualties.
Somalia-based terror group al Shabaab and the Houthis in Yemen have been discussed as potential targets under the new orders.
Under Biden and Obama certain airstrikes were required to adhere to a “multi-layered process of regulations and high-level vetting,” requiring review from military lawyers and the approvals of seven individuals, including the president, according to CBS News. If one person objected to the strike, it would not be carried out.
Under Trump, US forces have conducted or enabled at least six airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against ISIS and al Qaeda affiliate Hurras al Din.
US forces have also carried out at least two airstrikes in the last month targeting ISIS-Somalia terrorists in the eastern African nation.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
