President Barack Obama has called for the report to be updated and released publicly on an annual basis.

"The United States has deployed combat-equipped forces to a number of locations in the US Central, Pacifica, European, Southern and African Command areas of operation,”said the White House. "Such operations and deployments … consistent with Public Law and the War Powers Resolution, and operations and deployments remain ongoing.”

"It is not possible to know at this time the precise scope or the duration of the deployments of the US Armed Force necessary to counter terrorist threats to the United States,” the memo added.

Among its broadening efforts, the US identified Al-Shabaab in Somalia as Al-Qaeda for the first time, but provides no justification for the change. The administration believes it can target Al-Shabaab because it "seeks to establish a strict Islamic emirate.”

"United States advises, assists, and occasionally accompany regional forces … during counterterrorism operations … conducted airstrikes [in Somalia] on June 21, July 20, July 31, August 31, September 25 and September 28, 2016,” said the memo.

The US has deployed "a small number of military personnel in Yemen to support operations against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)” and carried out 18 airstrikes since June 13, 2016.

The prison camp inside the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is still holding 59 detainees.

The Obama administration said it had tried to apply "rules, practices and policies long used in traditional warfare” to a new type of conflict embodied by extremist groups who often "do not wear uniforms ore respect geographic boundaries” and show little regard for the rules of war.

"To say that a military tactic is legal, or effective, is not to say that is wise or moral in every instance,” the White House said, according toAP, which obtained a copy of the memo and report.

Source-RT