U.S. Mulls Legality of Killing American al Qaeda "Turncoat"

[thundley4]

Opportunities to "Take Out" Radical Cleric Anwar Awlaki In Yemen "May Have Been Missed"

White House lawyers are mulling the legality of proposed attempts to kill an American citizen, Anwar al Awlaki, who is believed to be part of the leadership of the al Qaeda group in Yemen behind a series of terror strikes, according to two people briefed by U.S. intelligence officials.

One of the people briefed said opportunities to "take out" Awlaki "may have been missed" because of the legal questions surrounding a lethal attack which would specifically target an American citizen.

A spokesperson said the White House declined to comment.

While Awlaki has not been charged with any crimes under U.S. law, intelligence officials say recent intelligence reports and electronic intercepts show he played an important role in recruiting the accused "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Awlaki also carried on extensive e-mail communication with the accused Fort Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, prior to the attack that killed 12 soldiers and one civilian.

According to the people who were briefed on the issue, American officials fear the possibility of criminal prosecution without approval in advance from the White House for a targeted strike against Awlaki.

An American citizen with suspected al Qaeda ties was killed in Nov. 2002 in Yemen in a CIA predator strike that was aimed at non-American leaders of al Qaeda. The death of the American citizen, Ahmed Hijazi of Lackawanna, NY, was justified as "collateral damage" at the time because he "was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," said a former U.S. official familiar with the case.

In the case of Awlaki, born in New Mexico and a college student in Colorado and California, a strike aimed to kill him would stretch current Presidential authority given to the CIA and the Pentagon to pursue terrorists anywhere in the world.

ABC News
 

We are less safe than we were when President Bush was in office.

[ColonialMarine0431]

I would'nt count on Blammo signing the order to do so.

[DefiantSix]

I would'nt count on Blammo signing the order to do so.

Lord Zero is going to be at least as bad as Comrade Klinton.  The Yemenis could offer us this ****er's head on a platter, and The Øne would dither until the guy on the other end of the line died of old age.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I would'nt count on Blammo signing the order to do so.

Agreed.  Too much thinking, too little action on this.  If someone is participating in active armed opposition to the US overseas, his legal citizenship status should mean nothing whatsoever.

[DefiantSix]

Agreed.  Too much thinking, too little action on this.  If someone is participating in active armed opposition to the US overseas, his legal citizenship status should mean nothing whatsoever.

According to the fine print on MY passport, my citizenship becomes null and void if I do that.

It's the whole reason I saw no problem with treating Johnny bin Walker just like every other illegal enemy combatant when he was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan.  Choices have consequences, and life doesn't have "do-overs".

[Thor]

According to the fine print on MY passport, my citizenship becomes null and void if I do that.

It's the whole reason I saw no problem with treating Johnny bin Walker just like every other illegal enemy combatant when he was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan.  Choices have consequences, and life doesn't have "do-overs".

That's not how the Libtards think.........