Does Obama's green-light on assassination of Americans change your view

[struggle4progress]

21. What is your theory about how to respond to non-state agencies that are, in effect, devoted

to waging war on civilian populations?

And what is your theory about the proper way to wage war? In a declared war, if Americans were known to be fighting on the enemy side, would it be your theory that they are entitled, by virtue of being American, not to have US forces fire upon them if they have not first been convicted in a civilian court? Do you consider an American sniper, in time of war, obliged to determine, before firing, that the enemy soldier in his sights is not an American?

Would it be your theory, in the case of a declared war, that it would be improper to target enemy commanders for assassination? Or is your opposition to assassination merely opposition to the targeted assassination of Americans?

Do you recognize any limitations on situations requiring due process? For example, if there were a sizable portion of the US, in which standard civil authority had collapsed for a significant time as a result of insurrection, and hence there was no possibility of bringing rebels there into lawful custody for criminal trial in the ordinarily recognized courts, would it be your view that the elected government of the US had to obtain standard indictments and convictions of persons there, before taking military action against them to restore lawful order? Similarly, if a person abroad, in a foreign region, where civil authority had collapsed, were plotting acts of war against the US targets, would it be your view that the elected government of the US had to obtain an indictments and conviction of persons there, before taking defensive military action?

Do you really believe the Administration claims a carte blanche power to assassinate people abroad? Do you think there would be no political repercussions if the current Administration assassinated a US citizen abroad, without having very good evidence that the person was involved in planning terrorist attacks and could easily not be brought into the US court system?