Washington sources have stated that the Obama administration has released a previously secret 18 page policy guidance document that lays out how potential drone targets may be chosen and approved and the President's role in the decision-making process.
It is stated that this newly released policy document, however, lays out in more detail the procedures for getting approval, who may be targeted and what guidelines must be followed and a plan to go after terrorism targets must undergo a legal review by the agency that will conduct the operation, before being presented to the President for his decision.
Among the guidelines, such information as the counterterrorism objective, duration of time for which the authority remains in force, the legal basis and the strike assets that may be employed must be included.
The policy has stated that when the US is considering "potential direction against a US person" additional questions must be submitted to the Justice Department for review and it must conduct a legal analysis to ensure that such action is lawful and constitutional.
