The CIA has been hitting al Qaeda militants in Yemen with clandestine drone stikes from a base in Saudi Arabia for over a year, according to an investigative New York Times report published Tuesday night. The base was first used to kill U.S.-born al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki in 2011. The program has been controversial, with some saying it has exacerbated anti-American sentiment. The architect of the drone strikes program, John Brennan, will face the Senate on Thursday for a confirmation hearing to become CIA director.
