State Department drones still patrolling Iraqi skies

From The Atlantic Wire:

The lead story in The New York Times Monday concerns U.S. surveillance drones, operated not by the Pentagon or the CIA, but by the State Department, that are patrolling the skies over Iraq even after our combat troops have gone home. In the story, Iraqi officials complain that the drones are an affront to their new nation's sovereignty.

The State Department drones do not carry weapons, but are used as sky high lookouts over the massive U.S. embassy and other consulates. The fact that they can't shoot missiles is a distinction that is lost on most Iraqis, given the growing American reputation for striking from the sky without warning.