Introduction -- Chekhov's drones -- "The tight leash" -- Secrecy, and the fiction of it -- Law without limits -- The documents. February 19, 2010, Office of Legal Counsel memorandum, "Lethal operation against Shaykh Anwar Aulaqi xxxxxxxxxxxx " -- July 16, 2010, Office of Legal Counsel memorandum, "Applicability of federal criminal laws and the Constitution to contemplated lethal operations against Shaykh Anwar al-Aulaqi" -- March 10, 2010, remarks of Harold Hongju Koh at the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law, "The Obama administration and international law" -- May 25, 2011, Justice Department white paper, "Legality of a lethal operation by the Central Intelligence Agency against a U.S. citizen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, " -- September 16, 2011, remarks of John O. Brennan at Harvard Law School, "Strengthening our security by adhering to our values and laws" -- November 8, 2011, Justice Department white paper, "Lawfulness of a lethal operation directed against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qa'ida or an associated force" -- March 5, 2012, remarks of Eric Holder at Northwestern University School of Law -- April 30, 2012, remarks of John O. Brennan at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, "The ethics and efficacy of the President's counterterrorism strategy" -- May 22, 2013, letter from Attorney General Eric Holder to Hon. Patrick J. Leahy -- May 22, 2013, Presidential policy guidance, Procedures for the use of force in counterterrorism operations outside the United States and areas of active hostilities" -- May 23, 2013, fact sheet, "U.S. policy standards and procedures for the use of force in counterterrorism operations outside the United States and areas of active hostilities" -- May 23, 2013, remarks of President Barack Obama at the National Defense University -- April 1, 2016, remarks of Brian J. Egan at the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law, "International law, legal diplomacy, and the counter-ISIL campaign" -- July 1, 2016, fact sheet, "Executive order on the U.S. policy on pre & post-strike measure to address civilian casualties in the U.S. operations involving the use of force & the DNI release of aggregate data on strikes outside areas of active hostilities" -- July 1, 2016, Report of the Director of National Intelligence, "Summary of information regarding U.S. counterterrorism strikes outside areas of active hostilities" -- July 1, 2016, Executive order, "United States policy on pre- and post-strike measures to address civilian casualties in U.S. operations involving the use of force."