Image: Drone Wars UK By Meenakshi Dalal While the White House tries to finalize its reported “playbook on targeted killings,” one prominent CIA operation is slipping through its pages.   The Washington Post reports the Obama administration is almost done creating “...a detailed counterterrorism manual that is designed to establish clear rules for targeted-killing operations... but leaves open a major exemption for the CIA’s campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan.” These drone attacks targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan started in 2004 while former President Bush was in office. CNN reports.. “President Bush launched the first wave of drone strikes, mostly targeting leaders in Pakistan. Then, President Obama took office and increased the number of targets.” The Express Tribune reports: “According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, between 2,627 and 3,457 people have been reportedly killed by US drones in Pakistan since 2004, including between 475 and nearly 900 civilians.” And the rate of attacks recently increased up with the start of 2013.   The BBC reports.. The Washington Post reports the opportunity to carry out these missions will fade rapidly as U.S. troops are being pulled from where the drones operate in Afghanistan. “The decision to allow the CIA strikes to continue was driven in part by concern that the window for weakening al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan is beginning to close.” The counterterrorism “playbook” is set to be reviewed by President Obama in the coming weeks.