Obama Administration Says President Can Use Lethal Force Against Americans on US Soil

[hughee99]

168. He gave "catastrophic attack" as an example of when it might be used.

He could have also used "possible end of the universe" as an example, but I see nothing in here to suggest that THAT is any sort of guideline or minimum standard.

From the OP
"As members of this administration have previously indicated, the US government has not carried out drone strikes in the United States and has no intention of doing so. As a policy matter moreover, we reject the use of military force where well-established law enforcement authorities in this country provide the best means for incapacitating a terrorist threat. We have a long history of using the criminal justice system to incapacitate individuals located in our country who pose a threat to the United States and its interests abroad. Hundreds of individuals have been arrested and convicted of terrorism-related offenses in our federal courts.

The question you have posed is therefore entirely hypothetical, unlikely to occur, and one we hope no president will ever have to confront. It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States. For example, the president could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force if necessary to protect the homeland in the circumstances like a catastrophic attack like the ones suffered on December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001"


Look, I get it. You don't have a problem with the president having the authority to kill Americans on American soil based solely on HIS judgment that this is necessary. I don't think we're going to get anywhere if I'm asking for some sort of minimum standard (which I think is a reasonable request) and you're building straw men (we can't possibly come up with all the possibilities that Hollywood could dream up, so why have any guidelines at all).

When we get a new president someday (Obama won't be president forever), I'll still welcome you over to this side of the fence where you no longer feel this is a good power to put in the president's hands.