"For us to be able to get them in another way would involve probably a lot more intrusive military action than the ones we're already engaging in,” Obama said.

The Times report said the State Department began operating some drones in Iraq last year on a trial basis and stepped up their use after the last US troops left the country in December, ending the nine-year conflict.

The State Department drones carry no weapons and are meant to provide data and images of possible hazards, like public protests or roadblocks, to security forces on the ground, it said.

Questions:

1. What did US President Barack Obama say that the US drones were mainly used for?

2. What did Obama confirm for the first time?

3. When did the last US troops leave Iraq?

Answers:

1. Embassy surveillance.

2. That US drones had targeted Taliban and al-Qaida militants on Pakistani soil.

3. December.

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