Sorry to say Freepers but every American citizen, no matter how horrible they are, has the right to due process. No one person should have the right to summarily assasinate a US citizen. It’s a slippery slope, you give Obama a pass on this, then what else will he get free passes on. THis guy should have been captured and then afforded his day in court as is his right as an American.
Not once he becomes an enemy combatant.
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.
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.
I have read that by joining the group he did, he effectively renounced his American Citizenship. One needn’t say “I revoke my American Citizenship” to do so, the mere act of joining a foreign military/terror campaign against the US effectively terminates your citizenship and all rights thereof.
SCOTUS addressed this during WWII. They disagree with you.
It could pretty easily be argued that since this guy was in a foreign country fighting against the U.S., he had renounced his American citizenship.
That would be the case if our legislative branch had not specifically empowered the POTUS on this.
The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (Pub.L. 107-40, 115 Stat. 224, enacted September 18, 2001), one of two resolutions commonly known as “AUMF” (the other being “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002”), was a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress on September 14, 2001, authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001. The authorization granted the President the authority to use all “necessary and appropriate force” against those whom he determined “planned, authorized, committed or aided” the September 11th attacks, or who harbored said persons or groups. The AUMF was signed by President George W. Bush on September 18, 2001.
Obama is the sitting POTUS. Evidently, he determined that this American citizen “planned, authorized, committed or aided” the September 11th attacks or harbored said persons or groups.”
I think you make some excellent points there. This could get dirty, what is funny to me is we can’t tortue, but assasinate we can. how odd
So what if they can’t capture the guy? None of our forces in the area. Let him go on his merry way?
I agree with you. I am OK with killing him, but only if the Executive Branch gets oversight.
Anwar al-Awlaki did not just surface today firing a gun at troops. He is a known enemy. Therefore, there was plenty of time to go to something like a three-judge panel with the evidence to declare him an enemy combatant.
Then, if he pops up, you can take him out.
If the President can arbitrarily decide which US Citizens are enemy combatants, just think of that power in Obama & Holder’s hands right after an Oklahoma City Bombing scenario.