WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US leader said that the measure was taken to promote transparency and accountability of the United States.
“Transparency and accountability serve our national security not just in times of peace but more importantly in times of conflict, and that’s why we’ve made public information about which terrorist organizations we are fighting, and why we are fighting,” Obama said Tuesday in a speech to service members at MacDill Air Force Base in the state of Florida.
Moreover, Obama asserted, the administration also released assessments of noncombatants killed in military operations and it took responsibility for mistakes.
“We declassified information about interrogation methods that were wrong so we learn from past mistakes,” he said. “This public information allows for a more informed public debate, and it provides a potential check on unfettered executive power.”
The speech in Florida was Obama’s final address to military members as their commander-in-chief. He leaves office on January 20.