Obama's counter-terrorism chief has "seized the lead" in secretly determining who'll die by US drone

[stockholmer]

http://www.salon.com/2012/05/22/john_brennans_new_power/singleton/

In November, 2008, media reports strongly suggested that President Obama intended to name John Brennan as CIA Director. But controversy http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2008/11/glenn-greenwald-andrew-sullivan-celebrate-exceptional-news-john-brennan-wont-be-cia-dir over Brennan’s recent history — he was a Bush-era CIA official who expressly advocated http://www.salon.com/2008/11/16/brennan/ “enhanced interrogation techniques” and rendition — forced him to “withdraw” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/25/obama-white-house-cia-brennan from consideration, as he publicly issued a letter http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2008/11/brennan-withdraws/208166/citing “strong criticism in some quarters” of his CIA advocacy.

Undeterred by any of that unpleasantness, President Obama instead named Brennan to be his chief counter-Terrorism adviser, a position with arguably more influence that he would have had as CIA chief. Since then, Brennan has been caught peddling serious falsehoods http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/world/asia/04raid.html in highly consequential cases, including falsely telling the world that Osama bin Laden “engaged in a firefight” with U.S. forces entering his house and “used his wife as a human shield,” and then outright lying http://www.salon.com/2011/07/19/drones/ when he claimed about the prior year of drone attacks in Pakistan: “there hasn’t been a single collateral death.” Given his history, it is unsurprising that Brennan has been at the heart of many of the administration’s most radical acts, including claiming the power to target American citizens for assassination-by-CIA without due process and the more general policy of secretly targeting people for death by drone. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/30/world/la-fg-brennan-drones-20120501

Now, Brennan’s power has increased even more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/05/21/who_will_drones_target_who_in_the_us_will_decide/ he’s on his way to becoming the sole arbiter of life and death, the unchecked judge, jury and executioner of whomever he wants dead (of course, when Associated Press in this report uses the words “Terrorist” or “al-Qaida operative,” what they actually mean is: a person accused by the U.S. Government, with no due process, of involvement in Terrorism):

Brennan’s effort gives him greater input earlier in the process, before making final recommendation to President Barack Obama. Officials outside the White House expressed concern that drawing more of the decision-making process to Brennan’s office could turn it into a pseudo military headquarters, entrusting the fate of al-Qaida targets to a small number of senior officials. . . .
Some of the officials carrying out the policy are equally leery of “how easy it has become to kill someone,” one said. The U.S. is targeting al-Qaida operatives for reasons such as being heard in an intercepted conversation plotting to attack a U.S. ambassador overseas, the official said. . . .

snip

[EFerrari]

1. So, there are jobs in government for people too dirty to be confirmed by the Senate, cool. n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. Just a question ...

are you similarly outraged with the General, lieutenant, Sargeant or field grunt that, in time of war, calls in an air-strike or pulls a trigger?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Yes. But, not as much as the bastards who put them in the war.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. What a swell choice. Someone to "seize the lead" in torture, murder, and destruction".

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy.” - Mohandas K. Gandhi

[gratuitous]

5. None dare call it treason

Business is just too good.