We are going to need some more context here.
If the context is militarial, I would suggest they mean "the permission to take action against the enemy". If the context is 'American political policy', I would suggest they mean "the permission to take affirmative action". If the context is 'actors on a stage filming a movie', I would suggest they mean "the clearing of people off the stage ready for action". If the context is 'building a house', I would suggest they mean "chopping down all the trees beforehand to clear the ground before the real action begins"....