Glenn Greenwald: U.S. Tries To Assassinate U.S. Citizen Anwar al-Awlaki

[Hissyspit]

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/05/07/awlaki/index.html

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011 08:22 ET

U.S. tries to assassinate U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki
BY GLENN GREENWALD

That Barack Obama has continued the essence of the Bush/Cheney Terrorism architecture was once a provocative proposition but is now so self-evident that few dispute it (watch here as arch-neoconservative David Frum -- Richard Perle's co-author for the supreme 2004 neoconservative treatise -- waxes admiringly about Obama's Terrorism and foreign policies in the Muslim world and specifically its "continuity" with Bush/Cheney). But one policy where Obama has gone further than Bush/Cheney in terms of unfettered executive authority and radical war powers is the attempt to target American citizens for assassination without a whiff of due process. As The New York Times put it last April:

- snip -

That Obama was compiling a hit list of American citizens was first revealed in January of last year when The Washington Post's Dana Priest mentioned in passing at the end of a long article that at least four American citizens had been approved for assassinations; several months later, the Obama administration anonymously confirmed to both the NYT and the Post and the that American-born, U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki was one of the Americans on the hit list.

- snip -

The other people killed "may have" been Al Qaeda operatives. Or they "may not have" been. Who cares? They're mere collateral damage on the glorious road to ending the life of this American citizen without due process (and pointing out that the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution expressly guarantees that "no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law" -- and provides no exception for war -- is the sort of tedious legalism that shouldn't interfere with the excitement of drone strikes).

There are certain civil liberties debates where, even though I hold strong opinions, I can at least understand the reasoning and impulses of those who disagree; the killing of bin Laden was one such instance. But the notion that the President has the power to order American citizens assassinated without an iota of due process -- far from any battlefield, not during combat -- is an idea so utterly foreign to me, so far beyond the bounds of what is reasonable, that it's hard to convey in words or treat with civility.

MORE

[bluedave]

1. I'd pay

for the ammunition

[Robb]

2. Awlaki's emails to terror plotter show operational role

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/03/anwar_al_awlakis_ema.php">Awlaki's emails to terror plotter show operational role

March 2, 2011

(snip)

Awlaki's words were clearly intended to inspire Karim to action, but excerpts of the cleric's emails reveal that his role went far beyond rhetorical support. The emails and other information linking Karim to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were discovered on Karim's laptop, which was protected by extensive cyber security.

(snip)

Once authorities cracked Karim's security, they found a series of emails to and from Awlaki. Excerpts of the emails have been widely reported by the British press.

On Jan. 25, 2010, Awlaki emailed Karim, telling him that "depending on what your role is and the amount of information you can get your hands on, you might be able to provide us with critical and urgent information and may be able to play a crucial role for the ummah."

Awlaki continued :

I was pleased when your brother conveyed from you salaams to myself and was excited by hearing your profession. I pray that Allah may grant us a breakthrough through you. As a starter, can you please answer these questions in as much elaboration as possible: can you please specify your role in the airline industry, how much access do you have to airports, what information do you have on the limitations and cracks in present airport security systems, what procedures would travellers from the newly listed countries have to go through, what procedures would a person on a watch list have to go through?

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/03/anwar_al_awlakis_ema.php#ixzz1LfeRKUEq

[aquart]

6. I still want a trial for American citizens.

[Robb]

7. Gang members get trials if they are captured or turn themselves in.

[dkf]

10. Trial in absentia?

Or let him try to kill us until who captures him?

[bluestate10]

The guy is not going to turn himself over for trial, or surrender when cornered.

His choices leave one option.

[suffragette]

42. So now we base the decision to execute on "Minority Report" style predictions

of future behavior?

That description could fit many accused people in the United States, to various degrees and for various reasons. Would they be subject to summary execution as well?

[tekisui]

24. How many people has he killed? How many in the US have been killed

by his encouragement?

Compare that to how many we have killed in Yemen, including the 30+ women and children killed when we dropped cluster bombs on civilian populations.

[scheming daemons]

3. He renounced his American citizenship... he's nothing but an enemy combatant now

.... and a bullet in his brain would be fine by me.

[Exilednight]

5. Renouncing citizenship has nothing to do with whether or not you're a US citizen. Once a citizen

of the US, you are always recognized as such.

[cali]

8. huh? No. not true.

[Exilednight]

14. Court rulings prove otherwise. n/t

[msanthrope]

13. That is incorrect. 8 USC 1481 (a) (5) tells you how to do it. n/t

[Exilednight]

16. Yes, but 8 USC (a) (5) has been successfully challenged in the past. n/t

[msanthrope]

18. If you are renouncing because you're a Tax Cheat, yes.

Otherwise, yeah--you can renounce your citizenship. It's one of your rights, under law.

[Exilednight]

19. Just because you renounce citizenship does not mean you are

no longer a citizen of this country. Plenty of people have renounced their citizenship for ideological, personal, and many other reasons and have been judged to still be US citizens when it comes to legal recognition of citizenship. Once you become a citizen of the US, you are always deserved the rights of a US citizen.

The only real thing that can happen to you if you renounce your US citizenship is if you were arrested for a crime in a foreign country against one of their citizens and taken into custody by local authorities, then you would not deserve the right to US diplomatic help.

[msanthrope]

4. Good. That fucker can walk into the Hague, or surrender to US authorities

if he doesn't want to get blown up.

But if he continues to plot to murder Americans, then he can suffer the consequences.

[cali]

9. I find this disturbing and I find the reactions on this thread a bit disturbing as well.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

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[Fla_Democrat]

34. It's not the what, it's the who

Keep that in mind, and it all makes sense. :think:







:smoke:

[Zhade]

39. This is what you get when you allow "just one exception".

Pandora's Box and all that.

It's going to get worse.

[suffragette]

41. I find this very disturbing as well.

[krabigirl]

49. Me too, but du has changed. Nt

[bluestate10]

11. Well. The bastard al-Awlaki can stop advocating the killing of innocent

americans. I doubt that he will. If President Obama gets once good chance to kill al-Awlaki, President Obama has my authorization as an american citizen to take that chance and hopefully kill the bastard.

[Hissyspit]

15. I like how everyone just blows off the issue of the collateral damage.

Blowing up innocents left and right with our supposedly surgical precision. Oh, well.

[msanthrope]

17. According to Al-Awlaki, things like that are 'accidents.'

Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born radical cleric who was reportedly targeted this week by an American drone missile, called the September 11, 2001 attacks "an accident" just two days after they occurred.

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/142412/20110507/anwar-al-awlaki-9-11-accident.htm#ixzz1LfmfwKFV

[tekisui]

22. We are not al-awlaki. We are supposed to be better than that.

Of course we aren't, though. As long as our government tells us to fear another and hate another we get in line behind summary execution. We are not all that different.

[msanthrope]

36. I'm sorry you feel you are no better. I know I am. n/t

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

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[Hissyspit]

48. So?

Logic called, it wants you to quit torturing it.

[KittyWampus]

25. You don't seem to care about the collateral damage caused by the militants aiming at us.

[EFerrari]

28. Ridiculous.

[Hissyspit]

47. That is amazingly fucking absurd.

[krabigirl]

57. No one cares. They probably cheer when innocents are killed.

But then think we are still better than "them."

[scheming daemons]

12. He is free to turn himself in at ANY time and avoid being shot

He has chosen instead to plan attacks to kill American citizens.


Like someone else said... I'll pay for the ammunition.

[Name removed]

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[somone]

20. When it comes to the Al Qaeda leadership

I have no problem with Obama trying to kill everyone of them in their sleep as long as there is minimal collateral damage.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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[tekisui]

27. It came with the blind support of Obama and his wars.

The comments and justifications are identical to how the right-wing drooled and had wargasms under bush. No different at all. Life has no value as long as we are sold the proper narrative from the proper salesperson.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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[Fla_Democrat]

37. Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!

It's not the what, it's the who.




:smoke:

[krabigirl]

51. Yes, this. +1000

[Poll_Blind]

59. What tekisui said.

PB

[krabigirl]

52. Like the other responder said, when "our guy" took over.

This is why you don't see as many war protestors anymore. It is all ok if a democrat does it.

[Robb]

29. It is likely meant to shock and offend you, and is a proportionate hyperbole.

Just as surely as Greenwald's piece is meant to shock and offend those who lack the privileged position of being able to step back from their anger.

By behaving shocked and offended, the circle is complete. It is theater.

Meanwhile, in the world outside your door, the decision has been made to shoot the man aiming a gun at you, metaphorically speaking, without your consent. It is unfortunate, but it is fully out of your control. The decisions, in matters of shooting, are unsurprisingly being made by the two parties holding the guns.

Amusingly, both think they are acting in the world's best interest.

[BOG PERSON]

40. yes

it's very weird. the killing of bin laden really raised everybody's enthusiasm for the war on terror.

[krabigirl]

53. Yep, and not just that..no one even cares about our drones killing civilians.

Or that we killed gadaffi's grandchildren a few days back.

The lust for war makes me sick. It makes me even sicker when it comes from "the left."

[SidDithers]

26. Greenwald. LOL...nt

Sid

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

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[Jefferson23]

32. Law's, who needs 'em.

:sarcasm:

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

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[krabigirl]

50. Sadly,I don't think many would care.

[hulka38]

56. If killing Fred helps them be a little less afraid

for a while, I'm sure they'd be all for it - and offer to pay for the ammo.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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[tekisui]

45. It is stunning the double-thought required.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

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[jp11]

54. USA USA USA!!

WOOO!!!

America, best country ever, Obama, best president ever!

:sarcasm:

[krabigirl]

55. The fact that no one cares to even investigate who was killed by the drones is sad.

They "may" or "may not" have been members of al-quaeda. Ie, they may have been innocent. But that doesn't matter to the war-crazed people on the right and now the left...as long as someone is killed, and it is over there, no biggie.

Aren't we supposed to be better than "them?"

[A-Schwarzenegger]

58. Those towers coming down altered American consciousness.

I find myself thinking things I never would have thought before then.
It takes an effort to resist, to remember principles, not to be guided
by that dark shift in what feels like the ground of my being.

[Poll_Blind]

61. I don't recall such a lapse in Constitutional adherence on DU or elsewhere among...

...Democrats or (more generally) the American Left after 9/11.

I do know that in 2008, once there was a president who had a (D) after his name, the shrill call for accountability in transgressions against the Constitution became (among too many) matter-of-fact rationalizations for the exact same behavior or worse from the Obama administration.

Because of the way I think, I immediately assign an emotional response to that: Disappointment, sadness, frustration.

But really, without all that, I think it's not terribly controversial to simply hypothesize that the American Left, especially those strongly aligned with the Democratic party before any particular ideology, are far more willing to turn a blind eye to the same transgressions that produced calls for George W. Bush's arrest and public trial.

Which indicates that the Constitution is in even rougher seas than I ever would have imagined.

PB

[A-Schwarzenegger]

62. I think 9/11 & the killing of bin Laden & the latest drone attack

are connected psychically, for some of us, as if they
had been a week apart rather than 10 years.
Certainly, as you say, there is a significant political
impulse here as well.

[Poll_Blind]

60. Recommended. Truth hurts.

PB

[The Northerner]

63. First in Afghanistan, then Pakistan, then Libya, now Yemen, and then where?

I really can't believe that it has come to this.

[ProgressIn2008]

64. K&R for sanity. nt