LEGAL ASSASSINATION?

[KEND]

Just in case you thought that obama was the second coming his policies have been probably more conservative than the republicans[giving money to banks, lleaving 1/4 mill. civilian 'contractors' in Iraq, increasing troops in Afghanistan] and now something not even nixon or reagan would dare to do:

Justice Dept: No Legal Authority for Court to Oversee Obama’s Assassinations
Opening Arguments Heard in Obama Killings Trial
by Jason Ditz, November 08, 2010
The Obama Administration’s Justice Department today argued that the court system has absolutely no legal authority to be “looking over the shoulder” of President Obama when he decides to assassinate American citizens, insisting those are “the very core powers of the president as commander in chief.”
The comments were made to US District Judge John Bates during a case brought by Nasser al-Awlaki seeking to prevent the president from assassinating his son, New Mexico cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, despite not having charged him with any actual crimes.
“If the Constitution means anything, it surely means that the president does not have unreviewable authority to summarily execute any American whom he concludes is an enemy of the state,” insisted Jameel Jaffer, the ACLU legal director who presented the case against the killings.
Former official Dennis Blair announced in April that the administration had approved Awlaki’s assassination, and officials have since defended the planned killing, saying it would be irresponsible not to assassinate the outspoken critic of US policy. Officials have claimed Awlaki is a terrorist, though they have provided no evidence of this, and have also declined to provide information related to how they decide which citizens to assassinate, claiming national security would be compromised by describing the process.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

Reads like a strawman.
lol

who has Obama assassinated?

oh yeah...no one.

and if he assassinated a terrorist who happened to have a green card?
who cares?

[Chris McKinley]

Preventive capital punishment! First offense? Ah, crucifixion....out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

[Steve James]

Well, fwiw, "wanted: dead or alive" is an old time American principle that has been applied by officials (elected and not) against Americans. Secondly, I think it's hypocrisy to say it's ok to assassinate Canadians or Brits (or Africans), but not Americans. Third, domestic enemies are the same as foreign ones to me, and should get the same treatment. I do agree that it should take more than 1 guy's say so, and should be subject to review.

[Doc Stier]

Well, fwiw, "wanted: dead or alive" is an old time American principle that has been applied by officials (elected and not) against Americans.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

Maybe he wanted to clear off that Reagan goof up?

[qiphlow]

Just in case you thought that obama was the second coming his policies have been probably more conservative than the republicans[giving money to banks, lleaving 1/4 mill. civilian 'contractors' in Iraq, increasing troops in Afghanistan] and now something not even nixon or reagan would dare to do:

Justice Dept: No Legal Authority for Court to Oversee Obama’s Assassinations
Opening Arguments Heard in Obama Killings Trial
by Jason Ditz, November 08, 2010
The Obama Administration’s Justice Department today argued that the court system has absolutely no legal authority to be “looking over the shoulder” of President Obama when he decides to assassinate American citizens, insisting those are “the very core powers of the president as commander in chief.”
The comments were made to US District Judge John Bates during a case brought by Nasser al-Awlaki seeking to prevent the president from assassinating his son, New Mexico cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, despite not having charged him with any actual crimes.
“If the Constitution means anything, it surely means that the president does not have unreviewable authority to summarily execute any American whom he concludes is an enemy of the state,” insisted Jameel Jaffer, the ACLU legal director who presented the case against the killings.
Former official Dennis Blair announced in April that the administration had approved Awlaki’s assassination, and officials have since defended the planned killing, saying it would be irresponsible not to assassinate the outspoken critic of US policy. Officials have claimed Awlaki is a terrorist, though they have provided no evidence of this, and have also declined to provide information related to how they decide which citizens to assassinate, claiming national security would be compromised by describing the process.

in other words, the president's main job is deciding which american gets offed? i don't think i like that idea very much.

[chud]

So if Cheney was Darth Vader because of the Bush-era policies, then this would make Obama the sith lord Emperor Palpatine.

[Steve James]