Ron Paul Speaks Against Killing Awlaki

[Mike]

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul spoke out against the killing of prominent prominent al-Qaida figure Anwar al-Awlaki Friday morning.

Paul said al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born Islamic cleric suspected of involvement in several terror plots, should have been afforded a trial as an American citizen.

"No, I don't think that's a good way to deal with our problems," Paul told MSNBC. "Al-Awlaki was born here, he is an American citizen. He was never tried or charged for any crimes. No one knows if he killed anybody. We know he might have been associated with the underwear bomber. But if the American people accept this blindly and casually that we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys, I think it's sad."

"I think what would people … have said about Timothy McVeigh?" Paul continued. "We didn't assassinate him, who certainly he had done it. Went and put through the courts then executed him. To start assassinating American citizens without charges, we should think very seriously about this."

When asked if he felt the same way about Osama bin Laden, Paul said, "Not exactly."

"Because he was involved in 9/11 and I voted for authority to go after those individuals responsible for 9/11. Al-Awlaki — nobody ever suggested that he was participant in 9/11."


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/30/ron-paul-decries-assassination-of-al-awlaki/#ixzz1ZXUcUGRq

 

[Anonymous]

Yep- and I think Paul is wrong on this one...International criminals that are doing/have done/and intend to do harm to the US or US citizens need to be hunted down and eliminated one way or another...There is precedent to this going back to 1803 and President Jeffersons sending the Navy and Marines to the Barbary coast/Tripoli (which was the first time the US flag was planted on foreign soil) to rid the area of the terrorist pirates terrorizing US citizens/ships in that area...

Nice to see at least two of the candidates can throw away partisan BS for a few seconds and give the President, military, and intelligence community an ATTA-BOY...

Ames, Iowa (CNN) - In a break from his anti-President Obama flame-throwing, Newt Gingrich used a campaign appearance Friday to offer rare public praise for the president on the killing of American-born al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

"We're going to take out Al Qaeda, the way they just did it in Yemen, where I do give the president credit," Gingrich said at a town hall at Iowa State University on Friday.

"Any American, who actively advocates killing Americans, places themselves in our Constitution as a traitor," Gingrich added. "The American who the president authorized killing in Yemen was an enemy combatant. Enemy combatants don't get Miranda rights. I think it's very important that this is a war…the president, in this one area, is right."

Gingrich's comments echo fellow GOP candidates who put out written statements. Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, also praised the president, "I commend the President, the members of the intelligence community, our service members, and our allies for their continued efforts to keep Americans safe."

 

[Lonecowboy]

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul spoke out against the killing of prominent prominent al-Qaida figure Anwar al-Awlaki Friday morning.

Paul said al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born Islamic cleric suspected of involvement in several terror plots, should have been afforded a trial as an American citizen.

"No, I don't think that's a good way to deal with our problems," Paul told MSNBC. "Al-Awlaki was born here, he is an American citizen. He was never tried or charged for any crimes. No one knows if he killed anybody. We know he might have been associated with the underwear bomber. But if the American people accept this blindly and casually that we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys, I think it's sad."

"I think what would people … have said about Timothy McVeigh?" Paul continued. "We didn't assassinate him, who certainly he had done it. Went and put through the courts then executed him. To start assassinating American citizens without charges, we should think very seriously about this."

When asked if he felt the same way about Osama bin Laden, Paul said, "Not exactly."

"Because he was involved in 9/11 and I voted for authority to go after those individuals responsible for 9/11. Al-Awlaki — nobody ever suggested that he was participant in 9/11."


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/30/ron-paul-decries-assassination-of-al-awlaki/#ixzz1ZXUcUGRq

OK who's right here? Ron Paul says he was never charged!
oldtimer said he had do process of law and chose not to turn himself in and use it. if he was not charged why should he turn himself in? what would he be turning himself in for?

so was he ever charged or not? that seems to be a pertinent question.

 

[Anonymous]

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul spoke out against the killing of prominent prominent al-Qaida figure Anwar al-Awlaki Friday morning.

Paul said al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born Islamic cleric suspected of involvement in several terror plots, should have been afforded a trial as an American citizen.

"No, I don't think that's a good way to deal with our problems," Paul told MSNBC. "Al-Awlaki was born here, he is an American citizen. He was never tried or charged for any crimes. No one knows if he killed anybody. We know he might have been associated with the underwear bomber. But if the American people accept this blindly and casually that we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys, I think it's sad."

"I think what would people … have said about Timothy McVeigh?" Paul continued. "We didn't assassinate him, who certainly he had done it. Went and put through the courts then executed him. To start assassinating American citizens without charges, we should think very seriously about this."

When asked if he felt the same way about Osama bin Laden, Paul said, "Not exactly."

"Because he was involved in 9/11 and I voted for authority to go after those individuals responsible for 9/11. Al-Awlaki — nobody ever suggested that he was participant in 9/11."


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/30/ron-paul-decries-assassination-of-al-awlaki/#ixzz1ZXUcUGRq

OK who's right here? Ron Paul says he was never charged!
oldtimer said he had do process of law and chose not to turn himself in and use it. if he was not charged why should he turn himself in? what would he be turning himself in for?

so was he ever charged or not? that seems to be a pertinent question.

As a dual citizen of Yemen he was charged in a Yemeni court....Which is also where he was found....

The Yemeni government negotiated with tribal leaders, trying to convince them to hand al-Awlaki over. Reportedly, Yemeni authorities offered guarantees they would not turn al-Awlaki over to the U.S. or let him be questioned.The governor of Shabwa said in January 2010 that al-Awlaki was on the move with a group of al-Qaeda elements from Shabwa, including Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso, who was wanted in connection with the bombing of the USS Cole.

In January 2010, White House lawyers considered the legality of attempting to kill al-Awlaki, given his U.S. citizenship. Reportedly, opportunities to do so "may have been missed" because of legal questions surrounding such an attack. But on February 4, 2010, New York Daily News reported that al-Awlaki was "now on a targeting list signed off on by the Obama administration".

"Terrorist No. 1, in terms of threat against us."

— Representative Jane Harman, (D-CA), Chairwoman of House Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityOn April 6, The New York Times also reported that President Obama had authorized the targeted killing of al-Awlaki. The CIA and the U.S. military both maintain lists of terrorists linked to al-Qaeda and its affiliates who are approved for capture or killing. Because he is a U.S. citizen, his inclusion on those lists was approved by the National Security Council. U.S. officials said it is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for an American to be approved for targeted killing. The New York Times reported that international law allows the use of lethal force against people who pose an imminent threat to a country, and U.S. officials said that was the standard used in adding names to the target list.In addition, Congress approved the use of military force against al-Qaeda after 9/11. People on the target list are considered military enemies of the U.S., and therefore not subject to a ban on political assassinations approved by former President Gerald Ford. Al-Awlaki's tribe wrote, "We warn against cooperating with America to kill Sheik Anwar al-Awlaki. We will not stand by idly and watch."

The powerful Al-Awalik tribe responded that it would "not remain with arms crossed if a hair of Anwar al-Awlaki is touched, or if anyone plots or spies against him. Whoever risks denouncing our son (Awlaki) will be the target of Al-Awalik weapons," and gave warning "against co-operating with the Americans" in the capture or killing of al-Awlaki. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, the Yemeni foreign minister, followed by announcing that the Yemeni government had not received any evidence from the U.S., and that "Anwar al-Awlaki has always been looked at as a preacher rather than a terrorist and shouldn't be considered as a terrorist unless the Americans have evidence that he has been involved in terrorism".

Al-Awlaki's email conversations with Hasan were not released, and he was not placed on the FBI Most Wanted list, indicted for treason, or officially named as a co-conspirator with Hasan. The U.S. government was reluctant to classify the Fort Hood shooting as a terrorist incident, or identify any motive. The Wall Street Journal reported in January 2010 that al-Awlaki: "has never been indicted in the U.S." Al-Awlaki's father, tribe, and supporters have denied his alleged associations with Al-Qaeda and Islamic terrorism.

"al-Awlaki is the most dangerous ideologue in the world. Unlike bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, he doesn't need subtitles on his videos to indoctrinate and influence young people in the West."

— Sajjan M. Gohel, Asia-Pacific FoundationIn a video clip bearing the imprint of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, issued on April 16 in al-Qaeda's monthly magazine Sada Al-Malahem, al-Awlaki said: "What am I accused of? Of calling for the truth? Of calling for jihad for the sake of Allah? Of calling to defend the causes of the Islamic nation?". In the video he also praises both Abdulmutallab and Hasan, and describes both as his "students".

In late April, Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) introduced a resolution urging the U.S. State Department to issue a "certificate of loss of nationality" to al-Awlaki. He said al-Awlaki "preaches a culture of hate" and had been a functioning member of al-Qaeda "since before 9/11", and had effectively renounced his citizenship by engaging in treasonous acts.

By May, U.S. officials believed he had become "operational", plotting, not just inspiring, terrorism against the West. Former colleague Abdul-Malik said he "is a terrorist, in my book", and advised shops not to carry even the earlier, non-jihadist al-Awlaki sermons. In an editorial, Investor's Business Daily called al-Awlaki the "world's most dangerous man", and recommended that he be added to the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list, a bounty put on his head, that he be designated a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" like Zindani, charged with treason, and extradition papers filed with the Yemeni government. IBD criticized the Justice Department for stonewalling Senator Joe Lieberman's security panel's investigation of al-Awlaki's role in the Fort Hood massacre.

On July 16, the U.S. Treasury Department added him to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. As a result, any U.S. bank accounts he may have would be frozen, Americans were forbidden from doing business with him, and he was banned from traveling to the U.S.Stuart Levey, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said al-Awlaki:

has proven that he is extraordinarily dangerous, committed to carrying out deadly attacks on Americans and others worldwide ... [and] has involved himself in every aspect of the supply chain of terrorism—fundraising for terrorist groups, recruiting and training operatives, and planning and ordering attacks on innocents.

A few days later, the United Nations Security Council placed al-Awlaki on its UN Security Council Resolution 1267 list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda, saying in its summary of reasons that he is a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and was involved in recruiting and training camps. That required U.N. member states to freeze his assets, impose a travel ban on him, and prevent weapons from landing in his hands. The following week, the Canadian government ordered financial institutions to look for and seize any property linked to al-Awlaki, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's senior counter-terrorism officer Gilles Michaud singled out al-Awlaki as a "major, major factor in radicalization". In September 2010, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence agency (MI5), said that al-Awlaki was the West's Public Enemy No 1.

In October 2010, U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) urged YouTube to take down al-Awlaki's videos from its website, saying that by hosting al-Awlaki's messages, "We are facilitating the recruitment of homegrown terror." Pauline Neville-Jones, British security minister, said "These Web sites ... incite cold-blooded murder." In November 2010, YouTube removed from its site some of the hundreds of videos featuring al-Awlaki calls to jihad.

Al-Awlaki was charged in absentia in Sana'a, Yemen, on November 2 with plotting to kill foreigners and being a member of al-Qaeda. Ali al-Saneaa, the head of the prosecutor's office, announced the charges as part of a trial against another man, Hisham Assem, who had been accused of killing a Frenchman, also saying that al-Awlaki corresponded with Assem for months, encouraging him to kill foreigners.The prosecutor said:

Yesterday a regular visitor of bars and discotheques in America ... Awlaki today has become the catalyst for shedding the blood of foreigners and security forces. He was chosen by Al-Qaeda to be the lead in many of their criminal operations in Yemen. Awlaki is a figure prone to evil devoid of any conscience, religion, or law.

A lawyer for al-Awlaki denied he was linked to the Frenchman's murder. On November 6, Yemeni Judge Mohsen Alwan ordered that al-Awlaki be caught "dead or alive".

In a video posted to the internet on November 8, 2010, al-Awlaki called for Muslims around the world to kill Americans "without hesitation", and overthrow Arab leaders. He said that no fatwa (special clerical ruling) is required to kill Americans: "Don't consult with anyone in fighting the Americans, fighting the devil doesn't require consultation or prayers or seeking divine guidance. They are the party of the devils." That month, Intelligence Research Specialist Kevin Yorke of the New York Police Department's Counterterrorism Division called him "the most dangerous man in the world".

 

[Steve]

criminals that are doing/have done/and intend to do harm to the US or US citizens need to be hunted down and eliminated one way or another...There is precedent to this going back to 1803 and President Jeffersons sending the Navy and Marines to the Barbary coast/Tripoli (which was the first time the US flag was planted on foreign soil) to rid the area of the terrorist pirates terrorizing US citizens/ships in that area...

OT there is a fine line between a military operation and an assassination..

the precedence is for a military operation. not an assignation..

even though I disagree with Paul on weather it should have been done, he is right...

often we want to justify our actions instead of taking responsibility for them... the scum bag was killed.. he deserved to be killed.. and I am glad he is dead.. no remorse what so ever.. but it is still legally wrong and unlawful.

it's like shooting a endangered wolf. no one would fault you, but it is still illegal..

 

[MsSage]

He was an American he should have been brought back and tried.....dual citizenship does NOT mean you have renounced your American citizenship.
He still had the rights every citizen has.

 

[Ben H]

I think he denounced his citizenship de facto by declaring war against the United States and joining Al Queda.

 

[Lonecowboy]

OK who's right here? Ron Paul says he was never charged!
oldtimer said he had do process of law and chose not to turn himself in and use it. if he was not charged why should he turn himself in? what would he be turning himself in for?

so was he ever charged or not? that seems to be a pertinent question.

As a dual citizen of Yemen he was charged in a Yemeni court....Which is also where he was found....

The Yemeni government negotiated with tribal leaders, trying to convince them to hand al-Awlaki over. Reportedly, Yemeni authorities offered guarantees they would not turn al-Awlaki over to the U.S. or let him be questioned.The governor of Shabwa said in January 2010 that al-Awlaki was on the move with a group of al-Qaeda elements from Shabwa, including Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso, who was wanted in connection with the bombing of the USS Cole.

In January 2010, White House lawyers considered the legality of attempting to kill al-Awlaki, given his U.S. citizenship. Reportedly, opportunities to do so "may have been missed" because of legal questions surrounding such an attack. But on February 4, 2010, New York Daily News reported that al-Awlaki was "now on a targeting list signed off on by the Obama administration".

"Terrorist No. 1, in terms of threat against us."

— Representative Jane Harman, (D-CA), Chairwoman of House Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityOn April 6, The New York Times also reported that President Obama had authorized the targeted killing of al-Awlaki. The CIA and the U.S. military both maintain lists of terrorists linked to al-Qaeda and its affiliates who are approved for capture or killing. Because he is a U.S. citizen, his inclusion on those lists was approved by the National Security Council. U.S. officials said it is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for an American to be approved for targeted killing. The New York Times reported that international law allows the use of lethal force against people who pose an imminent threat to a country, and U.S. officials said that was the standard used in adding names to the target list.In addition, Congress approved the use of military force against al-Qaeda after 9/11. People on the target list are considered military enemies of the U.S., and therefore not subject to a ban on political assassinations approved by former President Gerald Ford. Al-Awlaki's tribe wrote, "We warn against cooperating with America to kill Sheik Anwar al-Awlaki. We will not stand by idly and watch."

The powerful Al-Awalik tribe responded that it would "not remain with arms crossed if a hair of Anwar al-Awlaki is touched, or if anyone plots or spies against him. Whoever risks denouncing our son (Awlaki) will be the target of Al-Awalik weapons," and gave warning "against co-operating with the Americans" in the capture or killing of al-Awlaki. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, the Yemeni foreign minister, followed by announcing that the Yemeni government had not received any evidence from the U.S., and that "Anwar al-Awlaki has always been looked at as a preacher rather than a terrorist and shouldn't be considered as a terrorist unless the Americans have evidence that he has been involved in terrorism".

Al-Awlaki's email conversations with Hasan were not released, and he was not placed on the FBI Most Wanted list, indicted for treason, or officially named as a co-conspirator with Hasan. The U.S. government was reluctant to classify the Fort Hood shooting as a terrorist incident, or identify any motive. The Wall Street Journal reported in January 2010 that al-Awlaki: "has never been indicted in the U.S." Al-Awlaki's father, tribe, and supporters have denied his alleged associations with Al-Qaeda and Islamic terrorism.

"al-Awlaki is the most dangerous ideologue in the world. Unlike bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, he doesn't need subtitles on his videos to indoctrinate and influence young people in the West."

— Sajjan M. Gohel, Asia-Pacific FoundationIn a video clip bearing the imprint of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, issued on April 16 in al-Qaeda's monthly magazine Sada Al-Malahem, al-Awlaki said: "What am I accused of? Of calling for the truth? Of calling for jihad for the sake of Allah? Of calling to defend the causes of the Islamic nation?". In the video he also praises both Abdulmutallab and Hasan, and describes both as his "students".

In late April, Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) introduced a resolution urging the U.S. State Department to issue a "certificate of loss of nationality" to al-Awlaki. He said al-Awlaki "preaches a culture of hate" and had been a functioning member of al-Qaeda "since before 9/11", and had effectively renounced his citizenship by engaging in treasonous acts.

By May, U.S. officials believed he had become "operational", plotting, not just inspiring, terrorism against the West. Former colleague Abdul-Malik said he "is a terrorist, in my book", and advised shops not to carry even the earlier, non-jihadist al-Awlaki sermons. In an editorial, Investor's Business Daily called al-Awlaki the "world's most dangerous man", and recommended that he be added to the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list, a bounty put on his head, that he be designated a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" like Zindani, charged with treason, and extradition papers filed with the Yemeni government. IBD criticized the Justice Department for stonewalling Senator Joe Lieberman's security panel's investigation of al-Awlaki's role in the Fort Hood massacre.

On July 16, the U.S. Treasury Department added him to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. As a result, any U.S. bank accounts he may have would be frozen, Americans were forbidden from doing business with him, and he was banned from traveling to the U.S.Stuart Levey, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said al-Awlaki:

has proven that he is extraordinarily dangerous, committed to carrying out deadly attacks on Americans and others worldwide ... [and] has involved himself in every aspect of the supply chain of terrorism—fundraising for terrorist groups, recruiting and training operatives, and planning and ordering attacks on innocents.

A few days later, the United Nations Security Council placed al-Awlaki on its UN Security Council Resolution 1267 list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda, saying in its summary of reasons that he is a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and was involved in recruiting and training camps. That required U.N. member states to freeze his assets, impose a travel ban on him, and prevent weapons from landing in his hands. The following week, the Canadian government ordered financial institutions to look for and seize any property linked to al-Awlaki, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's senior counter-terrorism officer Gilles Michaud singled out al-Awlaki as a "major, major factor in radicalization". In September 2010, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence agency (MI5), said that al-Awlaki was the West's Public Enemy No 1.

In October 2010, U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) urged YouTube to take down al-Awlaki's videos from its website, saying that by hosting al-Awlaki's messages, "We are facilitating the recruitment of homegrown terror." Pauline Neville-Jones, British security minister, said "These Web sites ... incite cold-blooded murder." In November 2010, YouTube removed from its site some of the hundreds of videos featuring al-Awlaki calls to jihad.

Al-Awlaki was charged in absentia in Sana'a, Yemen, on November 2 with plotting to kill foreigners and being a member of al-Qaeda. Ali al-Saneaa, the head of the prosecutor's office, announced the charges as part of a trial against another man, Hisham Assem, who had been accused of killing a Frenchman, also saying that al-Awlaki corresponded with Assem for months, encouraging him to kill foreigners.The prosecutor said:

Yesterday a regular visitor of bars and discotheques in America ... Awlaki today has become the catalyst for shedding the blood of foreigners and security forces. He was chosen by Al-Qaeda to be the lead in many of their criminal operations in Yemen. Awlaki is a figure prone to evil devoid of any conscience, religion, or law.

A lawyer for al-Awlaki denied he was linked to the Frenchman's murder. On November 6, Yemeni Judge Mohsen Alwan ordered that al-Awlaki be caught "dead or alive".

In a video posted to the internet on November 8, 2010, al-Awlaki called for Muslims around the world to kill Americans "without hesitation", and overthrow Arab leaders. He said that no fatwa (special clerical ruling) is required to kill Americans: "Don't consult with anyone in fighting the Americans, fighting the devil doesn't require consultation or prayers or seeking divine guidance. They are the party of the devils." That month, Intelligence Research Specialist Kevin Yorke of the New York Police Department's Counterterrorism Division called him "the most dangerous man in the world".

so Ron Paul was right, there had been no charges filed in the U.S. then oldtimer? there were no U.S. arrest warrants issued?

 

[hypocritexposer]

I think he denounced his citizenship de facto by declaring war against the United States and joining Al Queda.

and that is the decision that has to be made.

Is the US "at war" against terrorists, or not?

obama says not, so unfortunately now he cannot claim that the assasinated individual was an "enemy combatant"

 

[katrina]

So what about Libya??

 

[MsSage]

Did he declare war against the US?
Its kinda like the war against drugs.....you can call it a war if you want BUT war is between 2 countries.
NO matter what I feel about the situation the fact is he was an American and due process was NOT followed. I know its not perfect BUT it is our law and should have been followed. So now the president has been set....if you are called a threat to security then you can be shot and killed without charges being filed or your day in court...WOW are you really ready for the fall out on that????????


Thinking I need to put more money into supplies

 

[Ben H]

If you have your child while you're over seas, does that child become a citizen of that country? Why was Awlaki born an American citizen when his parents were here on student visas from Yemen? He also claimed to be from Yemen to receive grants and tuition assistance going to college in the USA.

 

[Martin Jr.]

Al Awlaki knew the consequences of his actions. He knew that he was wanted, he could have turned himself in and claimed his citizenship and asked for a trial to defend his actions. But he chose to be a fugitive and put himself in the dangerous position.
He's dead. Good.

 

[Anonymous]

Al Awlaki knew the consequences of his actions. He knew that he was wanted, he could have turned himself in and claimed his citizenship and asked for a trial to defend his actions. But he chose to be a fugitive and put himself in the dangerous position.
He's dead. Good.

AMEN

 

[Clarencen]

I have no remorse over Awlaski's killing. He was a rattlesnake, rarrlesnakes can be deadly and need to be killed. Makes no difference if he was a citizen or not.

Still, assinations or planned assinations do not set well with me or with most Americans, especially if carried out by the government. If we believe in democracy and want to promote democracy with fairness and justus for all, we should try to practise what we preach. Things like this will always be done, I think it is called expedient, but we shouldn't just let it go without at least thinking and questioning it.

 

[Texan]

I'm glad the SOB is dead. If George W. Bush was still the President, I'd be proud of him for looking out for us, so I feel the same way about President Obama. (Even though I really feel the credit for this goes more to Panetta and Petraeus.)

I really feel like some conservatives are being critical of this action now and wouldn't be as critical if President Bush had done it. Just like some liberals are okay with President Obama doing it, but would be throwing a fit if Bush had done the same thing.

In any case, I'm glad he's dead. But, I'll have to admit that there's a part of me that is beginning to find it troubling. The words of Congressman Paul are beginning to resonate with me:

"Al-Awlaki was born here. He is an American citizen. He was never tried or charged for any crimes. No one knows if he killed anybody. We know he might have been associated with the underwear bomber. But if the American people accept this blindly and casually then we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys. I think it's sad."

 

[Steve]

I didn't intend on being critical of Obama's decision.. I believe it is the right decision.. and I am glad he has had the balls to do the right thing, despite the political consequences..

I also believe the order to kill the scum was unlawful, and illegal.. Assassinations and executions are about as serious as you can get when dealing with the law.. and as I have pointed out the law is clear, they are not allowed.

and so far no one has been able to put forward a legal justification for breaking the law established under Lincoln..

as for GW Bush, Reagan, and FDR they all "technically", if they ordered the assassination of the foreign bad guys, broke the law as well.. and History will judge them.. not a court..

citizenship is not mentioned in the US code nor the three executive Orders, that reinforce the US code.

yes it is more alarming that it was a so-called US citizen this time... but the law applies to our actions, not the one getting assassinated..

 

[loomixguy]

Number one, I am glad they terminated the Hadji. He was a bad SOB who deserved killing.

BUT, the law WAS broken, plain and simple. That part is pretty scary, if you really think about it.

The Hadj was a US Citizen, but make no mistake, he knew what he was doing. These guys may live like cavemen and wear man-dresses, but don't make the mistake thinking that they are simple. Many of them are quite astute politically and financially. In my mind, the fact he was a US citizen is negated by the fact he was residing in a terrorist rich country OF HIS OWN FREE WILL AND ACCORD. He could have turned himself in at any time, but didn't. Maybe he didn't renounce his US Citizenship, but by his actions, he may as well have. It is very doubtful he could have been taken alive, either. At least the mission didn't happen on US soil.........

 

[hypocritexposer]

Number one, I am glad they terminated the Hadji. He was a bad SOB who deserved killing.

BUT, the law WAS broken, plain and simple. That part is pretty scary, if you really think about it.

The Hadj was a US Citizen, but make no mistake, he knew what he was doing. These guys may live like cavemen and wear man-dresses, but don't make the mistake thinking that they are simple. Many of them are quite astute politically and financially. In my mind, the fact he was a US citizen is negated by the fact he was residing in a terrorist rich country OF HIS OWN FREE WILL AND ACCORD. He could have turned himself in at any time, but didn't. Maybe he didn't renounce his US Citizenship, but by his actions, he may as well have. It is very doubtful he could have been taken alive, either. At least the mission didn't happen on US soil.........

They should start using drones to take out the "bad guys" within the US.

OT seems to be fine with this sort of extrajudicial killings.

Can't catch the "perp" with good old law enforcement, just take him out with a "hellfire" missile.

Why put the lives of LE in danger? times are tough, why go through the time and expense of trials?

 

[Anonymous]

John McCain pretty well agrees with Obama...

Sen. John McCain said Monday he disagreed with former vice president Dick Cheney's assertion that the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki could be equated with enhanced interrogation techniques.

"They're two entirely different things," McCain said Monday on CNN's "American Morning." "One is that this was specifically authorized by Congress after 9/11. And it's action that is taken against a declared enemy of the United States of America. I'm glad they did it. I'm glad that they will continue."

--------------

McCain wouldn't say definitively Monday whether or not Obama owed Bush an apology, pointing out instead that the Senate had voted against using enhanced interrogation techniques.

"Well, it was 90-6 in the United States Senate to prohibit cruel and inhumane mistreatment. It was an amendment in a peaceful legislation that I was the sponsor of. The Senate has spoken. The American people have spoken. The people of the world have spoken. Torturing people in violation of international agreements such as the Geneva conventions is prohibited, and frankly very harmful to the image of the United States of America."