How can the Obama administration justify killing U.S. citizens overseas without due process?

[The Northerner]

The U.S. government has killed three American citizens with drone strikes in Yemen over the past month. Three.

They include the al Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki, another al Qaeda member and Al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman.

The teenager born in Colorado was killed in a drone strike that targeted and killed a prominent militant along with several others. It's unclear if the youngster was a militant himself.

But whether he was or not, the silence coming from the U.S. government regarding his death is deafening.

Read more: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/27/how-can-the-obama-administration-justify-assassinating-u-s-citizens-overseas-without-due-process/

[ThomWV]

1. What I can't understand is why the Republicans haven't started impeachment proceedings

They say they want nothing more than to get him out of office, well, here's their chance. Its got more legitimacy to it than that Kangaroo Court they brought to Clinton. I have no idea what's holding them back.

[a simple pattern]

4. +1

What a great point.

[ixion]

5. Their own culpability is what holds them back

[woo me with science]

13. I suspect you are right.

They don't want any precedent for something like that.

And I don't think the real PTB, the corporations, are upset at all about having Obama in office. He has strong financial ties to them, too. They are getting a great deal accomplished without a unified Democratic opposition.

[ixion]

17. I agree.

The typical 'outrage' from the GOP is just to keep the base warm and toasty for when they need to be activated to do something stupid.

[quaker bill]

8. American exceptionalism

is usually not greeted all that warmly here. But due to accident of birth, this particular 16 year old, of all the 16 year olds killed during these wars (perhaps thousands) is a special case, and considered by some an impeachable offense, as you repeatedly post.

[defendandprotect]

14. They like it -- !!

[Enrique]

2. not a big fan of Cafferty

but it's good this issue is getting on CNN. This is something that should make both parties uncomfortable.

[ixion]

3. They can't, really, but since no one holds them accountable

there's nothing to stop them from doing that, or worse. That's what the Bush Doctrine (now the Bush-Obama Doctrine) was all about, and why I will never EVER support it.

[qb]

6. With media compliance, the government can ignore inconvenient parts of the law.

Drone strikes on foreigners are politically popular.
The "American Citizen" detail gets little traction if he's perceived as being "one of them."

[saras]

7. The date of "first drone strike IN America BY America" would make a good betting pool.

[gratuitous]

9. He had a funny name, and should have chosen his parents more carefully

All justified now. And we're all soooo much safer. After all, 78% of liberal Democrats approve, so it must be okay. Besides, that whole "due process" thing is just so, so, so, pre-9/11. We have to respond real quickly, lest some 16-year-old whose father we murdered two weeks prior gets any bright ideas. We're men of action in this country, and we ain't got time to fiddle-dee-dee with investigations and warrants and evidence and stuff. Squeeze off a missile from a drone and let God sort out the grease spots we leave behind.

U!S!A! U!S!A! U!S!A! U!S!A!

I feel like Jim Duggan.

[uponit7771]

10. FDR did the same, of course bashers hate to acknowledge such

My Goodness people, learn history or we'll repeat the bad parts of it.

There were PLENTY of wingers that fought with the Germans.

[bvar22]

11. FDR did the "same" what?

You can't possibly be attempting to equate this with an actual Declared World War with Enemy Armies wearing Enemy Uniforms from Enemy Countries with Enemy Governments and declared alliances with other Enemy Countries and all else that entails?

Can You?
THAT would be a laughable stretch,
so you MUST be referring to something else.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Undelcared war against non uniformed enemies has been around since the Barbary Pirates

The real issue here is that we're at war with something as vague as "terrorism". That means there are pretty much no limits on the government's power.

[bvar22]

19. No. The REAL issue is the "Unitary Executive"...

...assuming and exercising Power & Authority that exceeds the limits specified in our Constitution.

I was against it when Bush-the-Lesser claimed these Extra-Constitutional powers,
and I'm still against it.

Unfortunately, with the endorsement of the Democratic Party the precedent has been established,
and the expanded powers of the Unitary Executive have become the New Normal.
We will ALL come to regret this.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejvyDn1TPr8



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Unitry executive is only part of the issue

Congress has voluntarily handed the executive much of the extra-constitutional power that it is using.

[TheKentuckian]

18. What was "the same"? Are you trying to say a war on a tactic is the same as

combating imperial Japan and the Nazis?

[snot]

12. K&R'd.

[JI7]

16. so it's ok if he did what he did against non US Citizens ?

i can maybe understand being against what he did. but i don't know why it matters what nationality they are.

[Pisces]

20. Treason, when you take up arms against the US. you forfeit your rights.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. The "Divine Right of Kings" covers it. As does, "The Ends Justify the Means".