It is fun seeing the liberals forced at last to deal seriously with the issues that we conservatives have been working on for almost ten years. Welcome to the grownup table, guys. If you don't like the food, we'll send you back to the kids' table in November.
“I never thought I’d see members of FreeRepublic advocating for the rights of a terrorist imam”
The next step up from this is targeting a US citizen not in Afghanistan, identified as a dangerous enemy of the state by state decree. Sounds reasonable to target a dangerous imam overseas who happens to be a citizen, less reasonable to target a “terrorist” in West Virginia, but the logical and legal concepts points to being able to do just that.
I mean, imagine if Clinton or Bush I had targeted the dangerous terrorist Terry Nichols and authorized his death far from a battlefield, based on what he was planning and advocating. Lives would have been saved! Childrens lives! A drone in Prescott AZ could have taken him out as he was testing fertilizer mixes. What could be wrong with that?
“More pertinently, by waging war on us he is committing insurrection against the United States.”
I’m not sure if you knew this or not but the Left has been waging a covert war on America for the past 100 years or so. Now it will become a little more overt.
Bullsh!t.
Even during the Whiskey Rebellion, Washington served the insurrectionists with papers to appear in court, and all the accused received a court trial, even those who were executed.
You don't lose your Constitutional rights with respect to the US government simply because you're overseas.
Possibly, but capturing and interrogating him would be far more useful. Then a quick trial, find him guilty/not guilty (I'm assuming he's really a bad guy, so guilty would be the verdict), take him out back and shoot him.
An American citizen shouldn't be targeted like this. This opens a HUGE can of worms; you can't expect such authority to be wielded justly by these people. It WILL be abused.
But you have to be engaged in the insurrection, not simply plotting one.
We don't even assassinate foreign dictators and now we're advocating assassinating American citizens, no due process, no trial?
These are dark times indeed.
OTOH, I am not a bit surprised to see more than one fellow FReeper advocating exceptions to the Bill of Rights for selected groups or individuals.
I am all for issuing a warrant, based on probable cause, arresting the guy, trying him in front of a military tribunal or jury of his peers as appropriate, and punishing him if convicted. If found on an active battlefield opposing US interests, by all means, shoot him.
But if you think that it is OK for the President to just order someone killed, you sir, need to spend some time examining your values and, I submit, your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of this Nation.
Then our military kill him as any terrorist/enemy on the battlefield and environs. No problem with that, war is war. However to just pass a death sentence by proclamation on any American Citizen is a dangerous precedent and beyond the scope of Presidential Authority.
Letters of Marque and Reprisal were the time honored method of dealing with specific enemies and are Constitutional. The President decreeing a death sentence is not.
Have you been watching the news out of Michigan, Caesar? Right wing terrorists running amuck. How long before the next one and how long before we are all lumped into "right wing" and ergo "terrorist." Are you sure you want this guy permitting the assassination of "American terrorists" when the term terrorist is so open to redefinition? Remember Napolitano's report from last year on pro-life and 2nd Amendment bumper stickers? Sure it was retracted, but the skids have been greased.