US strike kills two American al Qaeda leaders

#78
#78
myrobbins7 said:
A little old but it's a Sunday and looking back I found this which I found a little interesting..Obama has ordered a dramatic increase in the pace of CIA drone-launched missile strikes into Pakistan in an effort to kill al-Qaeda and Taliban members in the ungoverned tribal areas along the Afghan border. There have been more such strikes in the first year of Obama's administration than in the last three years under President George W. Bush, according to a military officer who tracks the attacks.

U.S. military teams, intelligence deeply involved in aiding Yemen on strikes
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This is definitely true. It should be noted that the program was ramping up near the end of Bush's tenure. But, Obama took that and ran with it even more. The sheer number of drones purchased and put in operation is huge compared to where we were just 3-4 years ago. The CIA targeting program has been expanded and operational latitude has increased.

They still have to answer the questions of - "is this the person we think it is, do we have a good reason to suspect they would be here, are they here with people that would make sense given who we know this person associates with, is there anyone present that would preclude a strike, etc." Once they are confident they have who they want and that the timing is right based on collateral damage, then the call goes to Petreaus (but not to the President any more except for certain high value targets).

The efficacy of the program has been pretty darn good. Their ability to target so specifically and with missiles that can pretty much just destroy the target in question and a very small radius around him is very impressive technology. The best part is that they can constantly hear the drones overhead and can't do a damn thing about it but wait for their number. Have I mentioned I don't like these terrorists very much? :)
 
#80
#80
The initial reports were that the remains were burned beyond recognition and it would require DNA evidence - but I don't think we were in a position to get that verification initially, though an official hinted "we knew." Not sure...
 
#83
#83
TranslationGuide.jpg


nohardfeelings.jpg
 
#84
#84
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world/middleeast/secret-us-memo-made-legal-case-to-kill-a-citizen.html?_r=2&hp

The Obama administration’s secret legal memorandum that opened the door to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric hiding in Yemen, found that it would be lawful only if it were not feasible to take him alive, according to people who have read the document.
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so the Bush legal team can decide water boarding isn't torture and they're thrown under the bus by the Obama administration. Now, the Obama legal team has decided that it's ok to kill a US citizen. I wonder how history will treat these two decisions.

Full disclosure: I agree with both decisions.
 
#85
#85
I never thought that I would be conflicted about taking out jihadists overseas, but the fact that the current administration takes the position that it's ok to kill American citizens so long as you can claim that there was no chance of capture seems both short-sighted and having vast future implications.

First off, the fact that it was the executive branch playing the role of fact-finder, authorizing party, and executioner seems to vastly exceed its article II powers. I could almost see an argument of constitutionality if congress acted and invoked the necessary and proper clause related to national security legislation, but there would still be due process and equal protection arguments against the action. At even the shadiest of rationales, there could be an argument that a non-article III court could act if authorized by congress, but I would at least hope that policy and common sense would prohibit the exercise.

Unless the guys put up resistance this would seem to establish a precedent that it's ok to kill American citizens if the executive branch deems them to be dangerous to American interests (including killing them by drone strikes even if they don't put up resistance). It would seem like a slippery slope towards dealing with both domestic and international dissent by labeling the opposition as unable to be dealt with alive and killing them.

FWIW, I'm an independent who would feel the same way no matter which political party did this. /rant off
 
#86
#86
Al-Qaeda joins those questioning legality of U.S. killing of citizen Anwar al-Awlaki - Checkpoint Washington - The Washington Post

Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen has confirmed the deaths of American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, the young American propagandist killed alongside him in a U.S. drone strike late last month.

Al-Qaeda has also criticized the Obama administration for killing U.S. citizens, saying doing so “contradicts” American law.

“Where are what they keep talking about regarding freedom, justice, human rights and respect of freedoms?!” the statement says, according to a translation by SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist Web sites.
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oh irony!
 
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