Recently in Foreign Policy, human rights lawyer Sarah Knuckey criticized the White House for concealing information on drone strikes. She describes a “depressingly predictable” pattern: anonymous officials say the strike targeted militants, witnesses say it killed civilians, watchdogs issue reports confirming the death of civilians, drone defenders challenge their reports, the government refuses to release information that, Knuckey believes, would settle the matter.

“We are at an impasse in the debate over America’s use of drones and so-called ‘targeted killings,’” Knuckey writes. “It is an impasse that the US government can, and should, resolve.”

Knuckey doesn’t realize she and other liberal reformers are helping to perpetuate the pattern. In the absence of a vigorous antiwar movement, human rights and civil liberties activists have emerged as the foremost opponents of “targeted killing.” Again and again they bemoan the White House’s secrecy and urge it to release information. But while transparency is desirable, requests for it won’t compel President Obama to come clean. And even if he did, progress on stopping the killing wouldn’t necessarily ensue.