The Obama administration plans to give lawmakers sensitive and long-sought documents Thursday morning that provide the legal rationale for drone strikes on Americans, in a bid to tamp down concerns ahead of the confirmation hearing for President Obama's CIA director nominee.

Concerns about the drone program have flared in the run-up to John Brennan's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday afternoon. Unlike Chuck Hagel, the Defense secretary nominee who endured withering criticism last week from Republicans, Brennan is facing complaints largely from members of the president's own party.

Lawmakers threatened a "confrontation" earlier this week over nominees if they did not receive classified legal memos on the drones. After one Justice Department document was leaked late Monday, the administration on Wednesday agreed to hand over the rest of the rationale...

It's unclear whether that will assuage lawmakers' concerns, and spare Brennan some heated questioning later in the day. With lawmakers set to receive the memos Thursday morning, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), said she was "pleased" with the decision...

Brennan has been under fire for his support of the controversial drone program. Brennan also faces continued questions about his views on Bush-era interrogation tactics. Republicans, meanwhile, have lingering questions for Brennan on his knowledge of high-profile leaks last year...

Before the administration agreed to release the memos, a bipartisan group of 11 senators on Monday wrote a letter to Obama asking for "any and all legal opinions" that describe the basis for the authority to "deliberately kill American citizens." Several of the authors of the drone letter sit on the committee that will grill Brennan on Thursday...

Brennan is described as the public face and architect of the targeted-killing program, which has expanded under Obama. The ACLU, a traditional supporter of Obama, is one of the program's chief critics.

Under Brennan, the American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, considered a top Al Qaeda operative, became the first American successfully targeted for death under the program. Two weeks later, his 16-year-old son was also killed in a drone strike, in which the teen was described as collateral damage...

Renewed questions come after the Justice Department document surfaced describing the administration's drone-attack authority. The memo says it is legal for the US government to authorize the killing of Americans overseas if they are suspected of being senior Al Qaeda leaders engaged in efforts to kill Americans...

Brennan will also be pressed on his statements about the CIA's enhanced interrogation program -- which included waterboarding. In an interview with CBS News in 2007, Brennan defended the program as one that has produced information that's been "used against the real hardcore terrorists."

Brennan has since apparently taken a position against the program and claimed he raised concerns while at the agency.

READ FULL SOURCE ARTICLE: 02/07/2013

Editor's Note: So, waterboarding bad...targeted assassination of American citizens -- regardless of the lack adjudicated proof to designate a citizens guilt or innocence -- good. Gotcha. Of course, seeing as how this Administration pees all over the notion of citizenship anyway, I can't see where people would be surprised...