Awlaki death rekindles legal debate on targeting Americans

[The Northerner]

The killing of two Americans by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen has reignited a debate about whether targeting U.S. citizens — even terrorists — is legal under the rules of war or constitutes an extrajudicial execution that ignores their rights.

The Obama administration contends that U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar Awlaki was a legitimate target because he played an "operational" role in Al Qaeda, alleging that, among other plots, he directed a 2009 Christmas Day plan to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner.

"Awlaki was the leader of external operations for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," President Obama said on Friday. "In that role, he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans."

But some human rights advocates and legal scholars said the administration had never produced evidence to back up that claim. They said the 40-year-old cleric was an influential recruiter and motivator, but there was little evidence to directly link him to belligerent operations against the United States.

Read more: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/30/world/la-fg-awlaki-due-process-20111001

[geek tragedy]

1. Interesting article.

It all comes down to whether one feels the fight against AQ Arabian Peninsula is legally one of armed conflict, or merely a police action.

[tblue]

2. I hate that Obama does that.

Yet another reason why I will not fall in line.

[coalition_unwilling]

3. Of course, were a future Iraqi government to send a hit squad to

tbe U.S. to execute Bush and Cheney for their alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity (because the U.S. government had demonstrated it was incapable or unwilling to police itself under the very international laws it helped to promulgate), I'll bet you everyone who currently supports the extra-judicial execution of al-Awlaki, or before him, of Osama bin Laden, will have some serious problems with that hit squad taking the law into its own hands.

[chill_wind]

4. Fran Townsend: Not a targeted killing. So Stop Saying that!

"Awalaki op was NOT assassination; nor a targeted killing; nor a hit job as media keeps describing! Was a legal capture or kill of AQ enemy."

https://twitter.com/#!/FranTownsend/statuses/119901774885814272

http://www.emptywheel.net/2011/10/01/anwar-al-awlaki-assassination-double-secret-illegitimacy

:crazy:

[EFerrari]

6. I'll probably be sorrry but, who is this person?

[chill_wind]

7. Perception shaper for CNN

(network policy analyst) Former Bushie- Homeland Security Adviser and Deputy National Security Advisor for combating terrorism. Council to AG Albert Gonzales, "National Coordinator" for continuity for federal govt policies (2007).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Townsend

[Festivito]

5. The article is about targeting, but should be about how to decide whom to target.

You should have at least 13 citizens, duly sworn, vetted as peers, decide it's okay or decide what you did was okay.