WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a rebuke of government secrecy, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the CIA must give a fuller response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking CIA records about drone attacks.

The CIA's initial response that it could neither confirm nor deny whether it has any drone records was inadequate because the government, up to President Barack Obama, has clearly acknowledged a drone program, the court said.

The ruling was unanimous from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Vicki Allen)