If the al-Awlaki operation was a joint one with the Yemenis, why no effort at apprehension?

[Vinnie From Indy]

If the Yemeni government was agreeable to a drone strike against this man why would they not have apprehended him or allowed us to send in a team to apprehend him? I think this is a very important question. Did the Obama folks even try to apprehend al-Alawki at any time? Is there a record of the US asking the Yemenis to apprehend al-Alawki and deliver him to us?

The fact is that it seems there was zero effort to apprehend al-Alawki. He was simply marked for death and there was never any plan to capture and try him in a court of law.

[EFerrari]

1. I think it was only "joint" in the sense that Obama had the permission

of the homicidal government in Yemen to go in with drones, and not in the sense that Yemen's own forces had command and control over the area being targeted.

On the other hand, Obama is claiming that he has the right to mark individuals for assassination and that the courts have no right to interfere with that or even to know who is on his hit list. That's what he argued in court when Awlaki's father sued on his behalf. This was being appealed but it's not clear that the appeal will now go forward.

[msanthrope]

2. Fact fail, He was already tried and convicted in Yemeni court--didn't show.

The judge in that case put out an order--

"Wanted, dead or alive: A Judge in Yemen has ordered Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and a relative arrested "by any means" to face terrorism charges in connection with the killing of French engineer Jacques Spagnolo last month. The order was issued as hearings got underway in the trial of a third man accused of the murder.

Judge Mohsen Alwan called on prosecutors to "forcibly arrest" Anwar al-Awlaqi and a relative, Othman al-Awlaqi, whom a Sanaa court has charged with "incitement to kill foreigners and members of security services."

Public prosecutor Ali al-Samet told the court the pair had failed to appear for a second time on Saturday before the court that specialises in terrorism cases.

Anwar al-Awlaki and Othman al-Awlaqi, along with Yemeni Hisham Mohammed Assem, are charged with "forming an armed gang to carry out criminal acts and to target foreigners and security forces on behalf of Al-Qaeda." The prosecutor in Yemen says Assem and Anwar al-Awlaki corresponded for months and al-Awlaki repeatedly "encouraged" Assem to kill Spagnolo."

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2010/11/6/124536/723

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. So we execute other country's death warrants now?

If he was such an obvious danger, why no indictments here? Why no attempt at capture?

[msanthrope]

5. Because action under the War Powers Act doesn't require an indictment. nt

[EFerrari]

8. That's not at all settled, no. n/t

[RetroLounge]

9. Because even so-called liberals

have murder hard-ons and everything is okay as long as Obama does it.

:puke:

RL

[EFerrari]

4. Yemen's justice system is based on Sharia

Is that our standard now?

[msanthrope]

6. So any murder conviction in a system that has Sharia influences is void?

How about Napoleonic??? Or do you just disdain Sharia, reflexively?

I am sure that you voiced the same worries regarding a Sharia-influenced justice system when Raymond Davis was imprisoned in Pakistan.

[bluestate10]

7. Because humanity is better off with him VERY dead. nt

[Robb]

10. That's actually an interesting question.

I'm not sure we can conclude there was "zero effort" to apprehend, but you're correct in that we have no idea.

[Recovered Repug]

11. Would you be willing to risk your neck to capture him?

If not, how many would you be willing to sacrifice to capture the piece of shit and for you to have a clear conscience?