Some believe the CIA's use of UAVs to target alleged insurgents in Pakistan goes against a 1976 executive order by President Ford to ban political assassinations.

As a result, President Clinton did not waive the executive order banning assassinations.

The N.S.C. review was the basis for saying this operation did not violate the presidential order banning assassinations.

President Gerald R. Ford in 1976 issued an executive order banning assassinations.

Despite the authority given to the agency, Mr. Bush has not waived the executive order banning assassinations, officials said.

Further, the manual had not been cleared for publication and was "clearly against the law", and the manual violated Reagan's 1981 Executive Order banning political assassinations.

It also discusses why such targeted killings would not be a war crime or violate a U.S. executive order banning assassinations.

While the US has had a series of Presidential Executive Orders banning assassinations, none of those Orders actually defined assassination.

Taking such action might be a violation of the standing presidential executive order" banning assassinations.

Washington has made no secret about the efforts to eliminate him, arguing that he is the leader of an enemy army, and therefore not protected under the presidential order banning political assassinations.