Posted on 10/03/2011 10:32:55 AM PDT by Captain Kirk
The killing on Friday of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen described as a powerful al-Qaeda terrorist, has stirred considerable debate about whether it's appropriate for a president to order an American assassinated.
Evidently, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain shares those concerns.
The above video was recorded just after the first nationally televised GOP presidential debate of the 2012 campaign cycle, held in Greenville South Carolina on May 5 of this year, according to its YouTube page.
"He should be charged. And since he's an American citizen, he should be tried in our courts," Cain said of al-Awlaki. When asked if he considered it legal for President Obama to order al-Awlaki killed, Cain said, "In his case, no, because he's an American citizen."
It has been known since early 2010 that the CIA and the U.S. military's special-operations division maintain kill lists with three to four Americans on them. Al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric, was on the list. He was reportedly killed in Yemen on Friday in a U.S. drone and jet strike. A classified Department of Justice memo authorized the killing, The Washington Post reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
“No telling how many American lives will be saved with the death of this POS.”
No telling how many more if we knew what he had planned already with some assassin - BEFORE the other shoe dropped.- the evil this bastard might have planned before he died lives on. Would have been a GOOD thing to have dug it out of him...with a spoon.
With an election coming up? Not much chance of that.
Thanks for the info. Yet he is too delusional to think that he is going to win the nomination and the Presidency.
At least you establishment republican types are showing your true colors now.
What we need are more Herman Cains and less “elected to office before” types.
Maybe this guy got what he deserved but there were TWO U.S. citizens killed, not one, two.
There is a really simple answer to this problem. Do a trial in absentia (since he was in Yemen), there was plenty of eveidence, revoke his citizenship. Then take him out.
[ I agree with Cain on this. Regardless of how you feel, however, it will be very interesting to see if he tries to back off from this or spins like crazy. ]
I think there should be a standard that if you are living out of the country for X number of years and are in X organisation that is a Designated enemy you automatically “denounce your citizenship”, and thus are now a foreign national.
In a brief Q&A with our panel after his speech, Cain told the crowd that he fully supported Barack Obama’s decision to strike Anwar al-Awlaki.
And how many US troops lives are you willing to risk to get this SOB terrorist alive? I am so happy that he died the way he died.
The question to be asked is:How have we treated citizens or anchor babies
who have taken up arms against America since
the Revolutionary War ?
[ There is a really simple answer to this problem. Do a trial in absentia (since he was in Yemen), there was plenty of eveidence, revoke his citizenship. Then take him out. ]
NAILED IT!
Well, I see the Democrats’ “Divide and Conquer” strategy is roping a few dopes on our side.
We are suppposed to be smart enough to focus our attacks on the Idiot-in-Chief.
It makes me wonder if George Soros might have “bought” a few “Republican” campaign consultants who have been tasked with tricking Republcian candidates into assuming our famous circular firing squad formation.
You are correct, the other POS was the bomb maker for the underwear bomber.
I am really disappointed in Cain, his stupidity the last few days is breath taking. Good guy in so many respects.......
We ALL hate terrorist scum, but giving the US Govt the broad right to kill citizens abroad who they ACCUSE of terrorism is too much. Try the guy in absentia if you've got proof he's a terrorist; sentence him to death; then kill him.
Conservatives fear and loathe Government; Liberals want the Executive to have broad and unfettered power, including the power to kill its proclaimed enemies.
This issue has been turned on its ear here at FR.
Terrorist Awlaki was a traitor and therefore he was no longer a US citizen.
while killing this guy in yemen, who was a us citizen on A TECHNICALITY, is ok with me as far as he goes, I think people should be concerned about the precedent of the government deciding to kill US citizens. Would it have been ok for them to kill him inside the US?
Posters shouldn’t worry about hem killing muslims, they should worry about that DHS memo about who to watch out for (normal people military vets etc). Those are the people I worry about eventually being subject to administrative resolution down the line.
“Was taking him alive an option?”
Don’t see why not...we lit him up, so we knew where he was. He might have killed himself, but I doubt it. He was a “planner” not a warrior. These scummy bastards need to be turned inside out whenever possible...we got so much intel from Gitmo, it stands to reason that’s our best bet...but as the second half of my original post said...we drain his brain and then send him to the virgins, not let him loll around in Cuba. I think the air strikes are OK if they are the last resort, but nothing I’ve read has indicated it to be the only way to get him. Expediency is just not always the best bet, especially the way these tough guys squeal like pigs. Then kill em.
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