US senators ask NY federal appeals court to order government to release drone killing memos

Four senators have filed papers with a federal appeals court urging judges to force the government to divulge more about the rules it follows when it makes U.S. citizens the target of anti-terror drone strikes.

The filing Wednesday with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan supported arguments made in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The FOIA lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times. It has already forced the release of a heavily redacted 41-page memo. But other memos are sought.

The filing was made by three Democratic U.S. senators and one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky. The other senators are Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both of Oregon, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.