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The CIA is taking over the command of carrying out aggressive drone strikes in Yemen from the military.

The spooks used to give intelligence support to the campaign take out al-Qaeda operators in the country.

The CIA operates under different legal restrictions, giving the US a freer hand to carry out strikes even if Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh disagrees.

The programme is the same as one used in Pakistan, which has killed 1,400 militants. Saudi spies will also step up infiltrating al-Qaeda’s Arabian Peninsular arm.