Washington: President Barack Obama was interrupted three times by a woman who shouted about drones and detainees in Cuba as he delivered a speech on national security.
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The woman was identified as Medea Benjamin from the anti-war group Code Pink. Ms Benjamin yelled from behind a bank of cameras before security removed her from the hall at National Defense University in Washington.
Mr Obama said at one point he was willing to “cut the young lady some slack” because the issues he was addressing are worth being passionate about.
Ms Benjamin shouted, quote, “86 were cleared already. Release them today!”
That appears to be a reference to detainees who remain in Cuba despite being cleared for transfer from the facility.
In the speech, Mr Obama said he would give the US military the lead authority for using drone strikes to kill terrorists and lift a moratorium on transferring prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to other countries as part of a larger package of adjustments to his counterterrorism policies.
He is also moving to tighten the definition of terrorism suspects who can be targeted for drone strikes, and said he will work with Congress to add more scrutiny to a largely secret program.
Mr Obama called the drone strikes by the US effective and legal.
"And yet as our fight enters a new phase, America's legitimate claim of self-defense cannot be the end of the discussion," Mr Obama said in his address.
"To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance."
The speech follows the May 11 election of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in Pakistan, which has felt the brunt of the Central Intelligence Agency's drone program. It comes amid steps by Congress to review their authorisation for the use of military force that stemmed from the September 11, 2001, attacks, and amid concerns that other countries are pursuing drone technology.
Associated Press, Bloomberg
