New York Times loses drone lawsuit against Obama administration
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport in 2010. Drones have been a key element of the fight against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.
The New York Times lost its latest bid to get more information on the Obama administration's drone strikes.
A federal judge ruled today that the administration did not break the law in refusing the paper's Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request for materials relating to the targeted kllings of suspected terrorists, Politico reported.
More from GlobalPost: Drone death lawsuit in Pakistan challenges legality of strikes
The Times is seeking legal justification for the drone strikes, according to Reuters.
Reporters Charlie Savage and Scott Shane joined the newspaper in filing the lawsuit in December 2011 after they were denied information about the program, including the killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen.
More from GlobalPost: Special Report: The Drone Age
The program has come under fire from multiple civil rights groups as a way to kill Americans without due process, although Attorney General Eric Holder has denied that contention, Reuters reported.
The New York Times said it plans to appeal the ruling.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.