A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” -- even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.
The 16-page memo, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News, provides new details about the legal reasoning behind one of the Obama administration’s most secretive and controversial polices: its dramatically increased use of drone strikes against al-Qaida suspects abroad, including those aimed at American citizens, such as the September 2011 strike in Yemen that killed alleged al-Qaida operatives Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. Both were U.S. citizens who had never been indicted by the U.S. government nor charged with any crimes.
Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Justice Department memo reveals legal case for drone strikes on Americans
Former Bush Jr.-appointed UN ambassador John Bolton, a neocon, has been praising Obama for his drone policy.
He said it's just like something Bush would have done.
It's not totally surprising to me. On most of Obama's policies, he is further to the right than Richard Nixon was. Democrats have been forced to sign on with the "War on You" items, such as the U SAP AT RIOT ACT by fear of Republicans calling them "weak" if they move to de-escalate these bad laws and policies.
Posted by: Ryan | February 07, 2013 at 08:42 AM