"Top Obama Officials, Secretive Process Create 'Assassination List'"

[KoKo]

Top Obama Officials, Secretive Process Create 'Assassination List'
President Obama's counter-terrorism chief has "seized the lead" in secretly determining who will die by US drone

US officials with firsthand knowledge of how the government determines who gets put on the CIA and Pentagon's lists for 'targeted killing' have confessed concern over the implications and nature of the process. In conversations with the Associated Press, one official involved -- who spoke with assurances of anonymity -- said that some of those carrying out the policy have become leery of "how easy it has become to kill someone," under the rules established under the Obama administration and orchestrated by Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan.

Brennan, who last month offered the first public admission by a White House official of the existence of the clandestine drone assassination program in places like Pakistan and Yemen, has amassed unique powers by consolidating the decision-making process to a select and tightly-controlled group of people, according to AP's reporting.

"Under the new plan, Brennan's staff compiles the potential target list and runs the names past agencies such as the State Department at a weekly White House meeting," the report cites officials as describing. "Previously, targets were first discussed in meetings run by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen at the time, with Brennan being just one of the voices in the debate. Brennan ultimately would make the case to the president, but a larger number of officials would end up drawn into the discussion."

... some of those carrying out the policy have become leery of "how easy it has become to kill someone."

Human rights and civil liberties groups have called for the White House to disclose to the public the legal process by which names end up on the targeting lists, but this report will likely give them little comfort.

"The targeted killing program goes beyond the law by claiming unprecedented authority for the executive branch," wrote the ACLU's Josh Bell after learning the White House had again delayed filing requirements in response to a FOIA request for records regarding the program. "Releasing information about how the program works is the first step in the process of bringing it in line with the Constitution," he said.

More at........

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/05/22-2

[KoKo]

1. Kick my post...

[quaker bill]

2. Well if your are going to create such a list

top officials using a secretive process would seem to be the way to go. It would likely be less effective if you announced it publicly, and you certainly would not want to assign it to entry level staff.

This has to be at least the 25th thread i have seen on this topic.

Asking for information on this is pointless. There can be no information about it that would make it better.