President Obama has acknowledged that U.S. attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles have killed civilians. “There’s no doubt that civilians were killed that shouldn’t have been,” Obama said during an April 1 press conference in Washington, D.C. He also said that such attacks are planned to avoid populous areas whenever possible. “We have been very cautious about … making sure that we are not taking strikes in situations where, for example, we think there is the presence of women or children,” Obama said.