Yep, the 'administration' that brought us the 'wonders' of 'hope' and 'change' (How's that workin' out for ya?) now brings us 'Death By Drone' - but this isn't your ordinary, official, 'court-approved' death of a terrorist - and no, the fact that he's a 'cleric' means nothing to me, and yes, I do believe 'he needs killin' ... This, however, is the remote-controlled death of an American citizen - who just happens to be a terrorist living in Yemen. Like it or not, this decision sets a PRECEDENT that starts us down the slippery slope of when it's okay for a nation to kill its own citizens ... remotely. No 'wet works' man from 'The Agency' need apply ...

All the foregoing having been said, I'm all in favor of launching the drone on him ...

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/world/14awlaki.html?hp

U.S. Approval to Kill a Cleric Causes Unease

By SCOTT SHANE | Published: May 13, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s decision to authorize the killing by the Central Intelligence Agency of a terrorism suspect who is an American citizen has set off a debate over the legal and political limits of drone missile strikes, a mainstay of the campaign against terrorism.

The notion that the government can, in effect, execute one of its own citizens far from a combat zone, with no judicial process and based on secret intelligence, makes some legal authorities deeply uneasy.

To eavesdrop on the terrorism suspect who was added to the target list, the American-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is hiding in Yemen, intelligence agencies would have to get a court warrant. But designating him for death, as C.I.A. officials did early this year with the approval of the National Security Council, required no judicial review.

“Congress has protected Awlaki’s cellphone calls,” said Vicki Divoll, a former C.I.A. lawyer who now teaches at the United States Naval Academy. “But it has not provided any protections for his life. That makes no sense.”

Administration officials take the view that no legal or constitutional rights can protect Mr. Awlaki, a charismatic preacher who has said it is a religious duty to attack the United States and who the C.I.A. believes is actively plotting violence. The attempted bombing of Times Square on May 1 is the latest of more than a dozen terrorist plots in the West that investigators believe were inspired in part by Mr. Awlaki’s rhetoric. “American citizenship doesn’t give you carte blanche to wage war against your own country,” said a counterterrorism official who discussed the classified program on condition of anonymity. “If you cast your lot with its enemies, you may well share their fate.”

I am opposed to death penalty in any form,,,,that being said,,,IF and ONLY IF someone can be sentenced to death for taking lives,, I think that punishment should be fairly applied to ALL citizens who do so


on the other hand,,a death penalty for the BELIEF someone is plotting doesnt seem legally valid or justifiable

Capture and waterboarding.... oh.. those were the days..

Now it's just drop a bomb on their heads.. I guess this is one occasion when Obama is actually bringing some change...

If George bush was doing half of what Obama was doing Pelosi and the Democrats would be at the white house door demanding his head on a platter.Seems like with Obama anything goes.Nevermind staggering civilian body counts in the last few months,record high spending and deficits,some of the highest unemployment since the depression.CNN,Code pink,Micheal moore must have all fallen off the planet since Obama took office.They have nothing to say.When Bush was running the show how many times did we here Pelosi talking about "impeachment".This illegal war must be stopped!Bush is out of control blah blah.But with Obama everything is just fine and dandy.CNN must have spent half its show degrading Bush.But with Obama it's cool.Guantanimo-no big deal.The War-no big deal.

Hey, it's YOUR boy doin' it this time ... 'hope' and 'change' ... right ...

Actually the CIA has been doing this since 9/11. **** happens and if they are terrorists or connedted to or supporting terrorists they need to die and I applaud the President is he has the balls to keep signing these executive orders.

lol, do wars end with the waving of a wand,,overnight? or do timelines and STRATEGIES for exit have to be in place..lol

and when BUsh was president, he DID have plenty of negative record highs, and he also was not innocent of allowing individual targets(remember Sadams palace)