I certainly agree, to some extent, that both administrations are quite similar in some respects to the characterization that is being put forward. However, it would suffice to say that this is absolutely not a continuation of Bush 43's policies, but rather an amplification in some issues and a complete change in others. On the use of drones, the NYT's Peter M. Singer (“Do Drones Undermine Democracy?”) makes the overall argument that drone use goes against the way wars should be fought: human participation. It can be argued that these automatons are better in terms of expendability; personnel are not easily replaceable while drones are easily replaceable. The Bush 43 strategy relied more on men and produced politically negative results. The move to drones had dynamic political advantages, which Singer argued allowed for the avoidance of aggravated/emotional discourse among members of the American population, academics, and the mass media. It is crucial to remember that the cost of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq – increased casualties – was detrimental to American credibility and led to Obama's victory in the 2008 elections. The Obama administration maintained Bush's43 policy of using massive troops , like the 2009 Afghan wave, but have gradually returned to the draconian measure of drone use. The arrival of Hagel and Brennan, in accordance with Vice President Biden's view, earlier this year best demonstrated this shift from counterinsurgency to counterterrorism ("In Step on 'Light Footprints', Nominees Reflect A Shift " by the NYT). This is where we depart from Bush 43. This is not to say that the use of the above is unquestionably productive as they tend to produce... half the paper... for drawing conclusions that an administration's policies are simply brought forward on the other. The problem is that the accusation is a generalization and different policies need to be studied separately on their own merits, to see whether they are related or not. NB: I would like to clarify a couple of points about CIA drone operations. The CIA is not limited by war zones and is authorized to conduct covert operations in any area deemed significant. Furthermore, the executive branch does not openly authorize CIA operations without reflecting on the information presented to it. Additionally, there is a congressional oversight committee that establishes the parameters within which the organization can operate; these are usually agreed behind closed doors or in confidential sessions. This does not mean that all affected participants rarely make bad calls.