I don’t have a problem with al-Awlaki as an al Qaeda leader killed in an overseas military strike who took up arms in a foreign army which has declared war against us and carried out many attacks us.
It’s not even a close case.
However, I would like for the Obama administration to release their legal reasoning on this so we can be sure that it accords with the Constitution. If he is secretly taking a broader view beyond what is constitutional that would apply in other cases, we ought to know that.
The problem is who makes that judgement. In monarchies, Kings can and do. In republics we use other means. It is not like this is an exigent circumstance. I am all for killing jihadis, kill’em all as Cody said. But I would be more comfortable with a check on this power.