The Bush Doctrine was that the world was our battlefield—we were at liberty to carry out drone attacks and unlawful interrogations throughout the world. But many Americans may be surprised to discover that far from fading away with the former president, these policies have in fact expanded and intensified under President Obama.

As The Nation‘s Jeremy Scahill explained on MSNBC’s Morning Joe today, Obama has succeeded in normalizing and legitimizing these policies that were considered illegal in the extreme only a few years ago. Recounting his recent investigation of increasing CIA involvement in counterterrorism efforts in Somalia, Scahill says we have to decide, "are we a country that operates under the rule of law or do we believe we’re emperors who can wage war on the world?"

For more on US involvement in East Africa, read Scahill’s article in this week’s issue, The CIA’s Secret Sites in Somalia, and view a slide show of exclusive photographs from his trip to Mogadishu.

—Anna Lekas Miller