Editor's Note: Micah Zenko is a fellow for conflict prevention at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he blogs. You can also follow him on Twitter. You can watch Fareed Zakaria's interview with Adm. Mullen this Sunday at 10a.m. ET/PT.
By Micah Zenko
After covert military operations are revealed - in this case by text message from the Yemeni defense ministry - a number of operational details emerge soon after. U.S. government officials, usually speaking as anonymous sources, provide post-hoc justifications for why the dangerous or lethal operation was necessary, and ideally how it fits more broadly into U.S. foreign policy objectives.
For example, in the immediate aftermath of the Osama bin Laden raid, we learned that the operation was code-named Neptune Spear, the CIA operated a nearby secret facility to recruit informants and watch the bin Laden compound, and CIA analysts believed that the odds Bin Laden was there to be no better than 50-50.
Like the killing of bin Laden, the attack of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki was a covert operation, defined by U.S. law (Title 50, section 413(e)) as “an activity or activities of the United States Government to influence political, economic, or military conditions abroad, where it is intended that the role of the United States Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly.”
Nevertheless, we have learned a significant amount about the killing of Awlaki, as well as the evolving and expanding U.S. policy of targeted killings. Four issues have specifically come to light:
First, counterterrorism cooperation “with Yemeni security agencies improved significantly in recent months,” despite the deepening political crisis and spreading instability, according to U.S. and Yemeni officials. One report noted that Yemen had been allowing more drone flights, increasing the amount of information it provided the United States, and even allowed Americans to participate in interrogations of detained militants.
Reportedly, it was information that Yemeni intelligence 00 obtained by interrogation - shared with the United States three weeks ago that led to Awlaki, who was reportedly given the code name Objective Troy. After two weeks of surveillance, Awlaki was killed by several Hellfire missiles while travelling in a Toyota pickup truck along with between three and six others, including American-born Samir Khan, and Muhammad Salme al-Naaj and Abdul-Rahman bin Arfaj, members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). That the United States actually improved counterterrorism cooperation with Yemen during President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s exile further undermines his long-standing claim that his rule is essential to fighting al Qaeda in his country.
Second, Anwar al-Awlaki was in fact killed by a CIA drone, according to U.S. officials quoted in several sources. Some analysts have mistakenly written that other precision strikes against terrorist suspects were all conducted by drones. However, in Somalia, in 2007 and 2008, there were attacks by both U.S. Air Force Special Operations AC-130 gunships flying out of southern Ethiopia, and Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from U.S. Navy submarines. In Yemen, from December 2009 until May 2010, a handful of cruise missiles were launched by U.S. aircraft operating outside of Yemeni territory. In January 2010, according to a diplomatic cable released by wikileaks, Saleh told Gen. David Petraeus, then the head of Central Command, “We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours.”
While a CIA drone reportedly killed Awlaki, a number of other military assets were also involved in the operation. The Washington Post reported that Joint Special Operations Command drones “came across the Gulf of Aden from Djibouti.” In addition, according to a CBS Evening News report, if the CIA drone missed Awlaki, “carrier jets flying from an amphibious carrier off the coast were ready,” and “there was even an option for sending in Marine Ospreys with special operations forces to collect any intelligence left after the strike. But that was never used.”
Third, U.S. officials claimed that Awlaki had a much more “operational” role in AQAP after his death, than they had before. In the past two years, Awlaki had been described as “inspirational,” “charismatic,” an “effective communicator” who’s “internet presence magnifies the threat.” In May, FBI Direct Robert Mueller warned that Awlaki “has taken on a significance that he certainly did not have way back when.” Yet, most officials described him as not being intimately involved in operations, such as Leon Panetta, who testified to the Senate in June that “because he’s very computer oriented and as a result of that, really does represent the potential to try to urge others, particularly in this country, to conduct attacks here.”
After he was killed, the connections between Awlaki and terrorist plots became more specific and vivid. White House spokesperson, Jay Carney, said Awlaki was “a principal leader in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the most operational affiliate.” A senior White House official said he was “very operational, every day he was plotting, he had very unique skills.” Finally, a State Department spokesperson claimed that Awlaki was “the leader of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” and “played a significant operational role” in two attempted terrorist attacks against U.S. civilian airliners.
Fourth, senior lawyers from across the Obama administration were unanimous in their belief that killing the American-born Awlaki was legal. Reportedly, after a long review process the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a “lengthy, classified memorandum” that provide the legal justification for Awlaki’s death. Many legal scholars and the ACLU strongly disagree with this position, contending that Awlaki killing violated international law and the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says “no person shall…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
It is remarkable to consider how far America has come since August 1998, when Attorney General Janet Reno opposed the cruise missile strikes against bin Laden’s complex in Khost Afghanistan, in retaliation for the East African U.S. Embassy bombings, because she did not believe it met the standard for a self-defense attack under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. Yet, most people support targeted killings, even of Americans. An unscientific CNN.com poll asked, “If the U.S. had a role in the targeted killing of U.S. citizen and al Qaeda leader Anwar al Awlaki, would you approve of it?” More than seventy percent of respondents said “yes.”
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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This question concerns the rule of law. Whether or not you believe that a given American citizen deserves to die is irrelevant...that is not how the law works in a free society. There are sick and twisted serial killers and child rapists in this country who are accused of unconscionable crimes against society every day, yet they are not simply "taken out" on the president's order even though they are believed to be a threat to other Americans...they are arrested, tried in court, and sentenced...no matter how many people would wish them instant death. That's how the law works, not for the purpose of being soft on rapists and murderers but for the protection of the innocent who might be falsely accused in the course of safeguarding society.
And assuming one American is plotting terror against other Americans and the government has ample evidence of foiling his plots, as in the Al-Awlaki case, then why would the government choose not to lay this evidence out before a court and see justice done? If by declaring a "war on terror" the government has convinced the American people that everyone on the planet including each American citizen should be regarded as a potential "enemy combatant" until "terror" ceases to exist, then there is no point in even discussing the aim of keeping Americans safe. The government cannot use the traditional concept of war against a foreign nation, where an enemy soldier can be shot during battle, to now apply to a war against individual citizens of our own nation to justify the use of permanent dictatorial powers over the American population in the pursuit of terrorists.
Following the rule of law does not equate to being soft on terror...it guarantees that American society is protected from a reign of terror that all governments sliding into authoritarian police states eventually impose on their own people in the name of peace. No government can justifiably claim to be fighting lawlessness by flagrantly disregarding the law. This is particularly loathsome in a free republic. And if American citizens are suspected of treasonous acts against the United States, it is unimaginable that the laws of the United States would be ignored in bringing them to justice through legal prosecution and instead, just assassinate them. Well, now it is no longer beyond imagining.
Most disgraceful of all, we find that the killing of these citizens is not ordered by some shadowy hit squad unknown to the legitimate branches of government...no, it is ordered by the president who, although sworn to uphold the laws of our country, subverts the rule of law and openly assassinates an American citizen and then announces it to applause at a televised press conference.
Citizens beware.
Thanks for the law lesson Kurtis. Maybe we should have let you go over there to serve the arrest warrant and bring him back to the country that he betrayed. You're a coward and a traitor. You should move elsewhere Kurtis because we don't treat traitors very nicely here. Pres. Obama did the right thing and apparently our government agrees. So go away, far away, you insignificant pile of dung and take your disgusting family with you.
Let me put it in a different way...should your name be found on a list and you share that name and be mistakenly targetred, do you think you will change your mind when the drone approaches? OR...shall we describe all those protesting Wall Street terrosists and simply send the drone? As a citizen of this country, yes, you agree with this but when you do not agree, what ability will you be able to change what your government will never allow you to see? Be careful for what you hope for, the fact it has not happened to you is a simple decision of someone you do not even know...but your fine with that...right?
to hmmmm;
If there are hiding in a foreign country, protected by automatic weapons and RPGs, yes.
You would never send a cop into a war zone to arrest a suspect, would you?
Of course, he was offered every opportunity to surrender peacefully and answer the charges. He even had relatives and the ACLU file suits on his behalf. Had he surrendered, he would be alive today and facing charges.
Since he did not, his death is on his on head, not ours.
Tell you what, next time someone makes the FBIs most wanted list, YOU knock on his door and as him to surrender for trial.
BTW: Update your will first!
P.S. You're an idiot and I hope you aren't breeding idiocy.
If you believe the government can wield this kind of power and there will not be future abuses then you have a problem. You call Kurtis a coward and yet the true sign of a patriot is one who is willing to speak out when they see wrongs committed by the government, instead of just blindly following the government because it's the "American way." I love my country but I condemn some of the actions taken by this administration and the previous one. You want to call people traitors? Where does the fact you seem perfectly okay with giving up freedoms that we have military personnel fighting and dying for plug into that?
Protect your own land than fool around the world with our tax dollars? Why should you open your belly to clean the dirt from the start, or see how much poops you have inside your body, let it be in the cover! Why can't you keep clean as much as you can see without going so deeper digging, without threatening your life on stupidity. We should invest all the treasure on our country to make her strong to protect her by all means than nosing into others's land offending even who are not terrorist, this is just stupid mission, a sickness of mind of revenge attacking the world offending other's religion treating them like dirt, like monster who were once like friends and working for US, they were not monster then. We can't eliminate all the bad guys of the world. We must prepare in our land to deter them if they come after us or this mission will finish us before we finish the terrorists.
You're an idiot. It's not a criminal issue, its a war and a national security issue. If you're a U.S. citizen and you decide to fight on the side of the enemy, you deserve to die.
AMEN
I agree. If an American went to Europe to fight for the NAZIs, they certainly could have been killed by American forces when our troops stormed Europe. This guy left the US and declared war on all of us. He was a fair target.
And NotForYou can return back to the heavy rock you came out from under. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, to recall, was a blatant war of aggression, the “supreme international crime,” in the words of the Nuremberg Tribunal. Even Richard Perle, one of the chief architects of that war, admitted as much. And what has come of it? Dick Cheney goes on book tours while Bradley Manning, who instead of committing war crimes actually exposed them, rots in prison...
I say you are a killer, wants to kill people taking law in your killer hands and afraid of law! You are coward to speak for the truth throwing your mind to the crowd and not saving even a small piece to think how monster you are trying to make a king of power which can lead to assault on freedom and democracy down on the road, a worse nightmare than a suspected terrorist could be! A mighty king can oppress and kill own citizen for even raising a voice or comment against his misconduct!
In war, this is what's legal:
1. aim at the enemy
2. pull trigger until enemy is dead
All's fair in love and war...all terrorists desrve to die by drones, and will.
BAN ISLAM!
Unfortunately, a super majority of Americans are too stupid to comprehend what you wrote. This happened far away and to someone who isn't white. What you should have said was that the targeting of Awlaki was not that much different from the U.S. government targeting Joe Schmoe for encouraging the Michigan Militia to plan and attack federal buildings around the country.
American Sanity <~ yet your the idiot that had to use race in your reply. Go away brain dead dummy
OK, let's use your argument. So Joe is plotting to attack US government buildings. Yes, he should be targeted. If possible, arrested. But if he could not be arrested, he might very well be killed in a fire fight with police. Anwar could not be arrested, but had to be stopped. So he died. I'm not losing any sleep over it.
Indeed the rule of law and the rule of law states that criminal-terrorist-war combatants such as Awlaki are a legal targets.
Well said Kurtis! A dangerous precedent has been set and one that will be used over and over. American Fury, Kurtis is not a coward or traitor whatsoever. You are completely out of line for calling him that.
Both Kurtis and you are nuts. We are talking about a terrorist here.
The rule of law doesn't apply to enemy combatants. You find them and kill them, period. Is that what we should have the marines doing in Afghanistan against the Taliban (some of which are U.S. citizens)? Arresting and trying them in court? Show me a point in time when warfare has ever been conducted in this manner. It's called reality. Trying viewing the world the way it is instead of how you would like it to be.
Sorry folks, I didn't post that stupid statement above. I just wish that the individual who did would let me speak for myself. I'm totally against the cold blooded murder of Anwar al-Awlaki and everybody else. People blogging in here to praise this heinous act are themselves truly nauseating!!!
So if court, judge and lawyers, and prisons are not for criminals then are they for good people? Do you think all the people in prison are decent people and so they need justice and lawyers to protect them from outside people? Do all the cops come to the door of good and decent people to arrest them? Wow, that means all the people outside the jail are criminals? In that case I don't want to be a good person! Hey wake up! Good people, in fact, do not need anything like those stuffs most of the time; all these stuffs are made for the bad guys and to give them chance to proof themselves innocence if they can by showing evidence!
Let's talk law here, and let's examine an all too common occurrence: a deranged gunman barges into an office or school. He starts shooting people. Police gathers outside. Meanwhile the gunman is still maintaining his rampage and continues to hunt and kill more people strapped inside the building with him. Police snipers take out the gunman, in order to spare the lives of those remaining. The gunman's citizenship is not a consideration.
Who among us would maintain that that the police acted illegally in taking out the sniper? Ditto here for Awlaki.
This past week in Mendocino County, California, state and county law enforcement members hunted and shot an armed, dangerous US citizen on forest land. There hasn't been much "due process" clamor over this event. This isn't a rare situation in the US.
Exactly. Due process is for those who submit to the rule of law. Resist and the law will respond with force... like it, or not.
The muslim moral compass was destroyed on 9/11...the muslims who killed, and the muslims that didnt speak out against it
I think the silent ones are allies of the terrorists, and if thats the case down the road wont be very good to you!
You're a total reject...if you don't already have your tongue up some buddy's butt, then you already must have some buddy's tongue up yours. You're completely full of it.
Actually, the "rule of law" was followed. Al Quaida was legally designated an enemy of the United States by the US Government. Therefor, any member of AQ is a legal and viable target for killing, regardless of nationality. In addition, I believe the individual in question terminated his US citizenship. I will have to do a little more research to confirm that, but if so then the whole issue is moot.
Kurtis, I'm not going to call you a coward or traitor. I'll engage in civil discussion with you hoping that I can convey my point in a way that convinces you that the killing of Awlaki is justified. It is true that American citizens deserve due process. I am not a law scholar but there has to be provisions in the rule of law for situations where our citizens take on the roles of enemy combatants. Awlaki sought safe-harbor operating as a part of an organization that the US is at war with. By doing so, I believe we have the right to target him as an enemy combatant. I'm a veteran of the war on terror and I'm proud of my service. American citizens that are accused of being terrorists should take advantage of the fact that they've will have their day in court and tell the government, "prove that I'm a terrorist". If they leave the country instead and fight our troops overseas, foment jihad over the Internet or plot attacks on our soil, we should be able to take them out. Am I off in my thinking?
A very strong legal precedent exists for the killing of Al Awlaki. Its the US Civil War of 1861 to 1865. During that war tens of thousands or more US citizens were killed by the US government for the attempted overthrow of the US government. Very few of those people, if any, had the benefit of a criminal trial. Therefore, arguments to the contrary are groundless and without merit. The terrorist is dead and no amount of legal motions, suits and protests will ever bring him back and that's a good thing. Terrorists beware! A hellfire missile, cruise missile or JDAMS is headed your way and you will never know when it comes. Better to live as an underpaid cab driver than to die as a glorified terrorist. The choice is yours.
The thing is we 100 years after and you want to talk about 100 years ago. There was no democracy then. You had the kkk running around killing people, you had free for all, almost everyone was a terrorist. There was no law. Lets say your son or brother is an intellectual who is involved in politics.....and he speaks out against the government on some policies......does that give them the right to silence your brother by gunning him down? the rest of the stuff is lies.....him being closely linkled to al qaeeda. Why did the US release him from quantanamo bay if they knew for sure he was(they would have no answers for the public). Therefore forced him out of the country, called him a terrorist, may have even caused him to associate with al qaeeda, then kill him......what a joke.....like stealing candy from a baby after giving it to him........just like how Bin laden was a trained CIA agent......gave him everything then used him,his name, even after he died . what a frontage.....
@ Kurtis You are a very intelligent person among the crowd of such foolish people and mighty butt massagers , You are brave tool Your kind of person must have stood by slavery against the mighties and rulers and discrimination, and suppression. People who argue in favor to break the law just because it is in practice and just because the crowd say, or some king says are fool and stupid. Even injustice practices are done before we have to speak out against it, and even if we are alone, we must be brave to dare to stand against it! Your comment is well said! Thank you. Justice must prevail and to all. No discrimination citizen or no citizen!
I wouldn't go so far as to say brave but 'tool' hits the nail on the head (pun fully intended and endorsed).
Frankly I think we should send his family a bill for all costs associated with this effort. I'm sure they were complicit.
As a targeted individual myself, I would say this Al-waki guy should have been paying better attention to the snakes in the grass in his own backyard, just like I have to do now-a-days. Someone please tell me. What did this man actually DO to deserve to be murdered in cold blood by his own Government, and where will they draw the line on these targeted killings. I just wanted to add my own 2 cents before they drone me in my own house. Could be sooner than later too. Think about it.
To be brief the US government is after every Muslim. It wants to kill every one of them. Why? Because they believe in God- the one God who created the heavens and the earth. Our government knows when people start submitting to their lord, they get rid of the servitude of one another including their government. And that is what our government doesn’t want. It wants to keep us busy like slaves and who knows one day it will bomb us all. This guy did not kill anyone. He did not bomb any US buildings. He was a scholar and invited people to the truth. He changed the lives of many. Go online and listen to his lecture series on the “hereafter” and “stories of the prophets” and then decide for yourselves who is the real terrorist???!!!!
You have completely missed the point.
Jesus is the way and the truth...but you can be muslim, you cant be a loser terrorist....a good muslim is left alone, a bad muslim will be killed by us and the good muslims...your done...
You're a moron.
Al Awlaki was the target, How about the others and especially the American-born Samir Khan? Khan had to die just because he was the editor of the AQAP magazine "INSPIRE"?
talk or write death to any nation or people and you will be droned...your time is up..
He was on the FBS's list of most wanted - and there are numerous crimes he was indited for. But he died, not because we didn't want to arrest him, but because it was not possible to arrest him without extreme loss of life.
SWAT in the US works like that. You ask the 'suspect' to surrender and drop his weapons. When he doesn't, 'pop'.
Yes, exactly. He was the editor of Inspire magazine, so HE HAD TO DIE. Yes, you are correct.
you are an idiot...Drone with your name on it....coward
2011 America out of desperation of losing the war for the past ten years, being in a hopeless recession, .....now begins killing Americans that disagree with American foreign policy.
So, all he did was 'disagree' with our policies? YOU, sir, win todays award for most ignorant internet comment of the day.
we may be out of $$$ which seems to be the muslim god, but we have a whole lot of drone and nukes....so muslims shut up!
Oh....yeah one more thing..
NOW to every American Citizen,......our government is now our worse enemy. Am I next.
Give me liberty or give me death.
I personally would choose to give you death, should that option ever open up to me.
lmfao
I dont know if your next, are you a traitor or terrorist? If so than you are next.
Jerry. You may not be 'next'.
But you should be.
Twit.
Well there you have it! Judge, jury, and executioner with a 75% approval rating based on information brought to us by perhaps the same agencies that gave us the "Weapons of mass destruction" scenario. Okay,....on one hand the policy of " shoot first and ask questions later" may be necessary, but on the other justice might be blind (Amanda Knox anyone?). So, whenever such a thing is deemed a necessary evil, it would be best to at least publicly back it up with indubitable evidence that was investigated and scrutinized by a special third party. And that way if someone erred or pulled a fast one, they they can face the full penalty of the law, or otherwise be given a suspended sentence.
I have been assaulted by microwave weapons, drugs and threats.
Your government no longer allows freedon of speech. They (State of Hawaii,...Oahu) harassed and assaulted me to get me to leave, because they say I am a political activists.
Trouble is on its way. Especially on the busses.
Leave people alone and have respect.
If I die ,....I will not die alone.
I have been pushed to the limit.
Thank god it all stopped.
Thank you jerry, I agree. It turns my stomach upside down to see all these ignorant people posting their bravado over the killing of this man. These posts rejoicing over this cold blooded murder only prove just how sick our society has become!!!
I'm with you man. I too am brutalized by directed energy weapons daily and quite frankly I've had enough of it. I am offering ANY respectable journalist from CNN or anywhere else an exclusive interview which will an interview they will soon not forget either, and thats no lie. I am glad your targeting has lessened. Mine hasn't and I'm sure its only going to get worse. Put the word out. never quit.
The US and its allies, and its millions of drones will never quit....you better find a really good cave to hide in you cowards.
"directed energy weapons?" Like... say... your microwave? Are you being anally probed?
muslims repent! Jesus can save you....because those 72 virgins are really ugly.
there are many definitions of the my religion and many of u will never understand
I'm not going to bother to respond to some of the above posts by paranoid persons in need of medication therapy! I will say this: al-Awlaki denounced his American citizenship when he joined al-Qaeda & became their top recruiter & a charismatic leader after the demise of bin Laden! He plotted many attacks on Americans that were luckily thwarted & was a sworn enemy of USA & American people! He had no consideration when luring young, impressionable people to become suicide combatants for al-Qaedas "cause!" The war on terror has no nation! We can't take the war to a specific battlefield, we have to take it to where al-Qaeda opperatives hide or plan to attack! Remember, al-Qaeda is an enemy of the world & has attacked many nations, but they have a special hatred for America! This is not a pedophile, this is Enemy #1,who'll be happy to kill us all if we don't kill them 1st!!
hmm I wonder how many more is the US going to kill in the name of the "Al-Qaeda Leader". How about you fernace? would you like to be the next al-Qaeda leader?
How many? We're going to kill them all. One by one, we will kill thtem all.
Well said, truth always wins! I can understand how our politician and media can manipulate and brain wash people since I have watched Libyan wars, and especially all warmongering since Senior Bush had started. One after another the presidents of our country are deteriorating the law without problem! During Iraq war even our people were scared to express their opinion, even though it is not like that right now but that doesn't mean the President should advance Bush's mission by breaking the law one step further than Bush to endanger our freedom forever, it might be good for the president himself too, because as I have heard so many republican talking about him even before Obama's election that if he is elected terrorist will win, so if some Republican President will win and if they might suspect that Mr. Obama has enhanced Al- Qaeda group in Libya and some more secrete might come out and he can be he the next target without warning. Law is good for every one. National or international rule must be protected for the good of all people especially in case of killing! Give law a chance to speak before we take some ones life, even we know he is a criminal. Or demolish all the justice system and prisons if they are existed only for shop lifter!
I 100% agree with Fernace. It may be "distasteful" to think of our government killing it's enemies efficiently, but it is better than allowing these terrorists to use our strict rules of "decency" to avoid our efforts a la the North Vietnamese in Cambodia in the 1970's.
and you know what? America thinks it killed Awlaki. In reality it created thousands of new Awlakis. You will see.
How so? Are there more people from New Mexico who want to hang out at Yemen's sunny beaches?
and we have millions of drones with all your names on em ya cowards
Jesus is the way and the truth...BAN ISLAM!
ISLAM=THE REAL INFADELS
we dont care what you dummies think or say...we just want to kill you, and we will...dont stop looking over your shoulders little bin ladens...remember when all you cowards said your god (satan) wouldnt let bin laden get killed? Well beware girls, cause your next...tick tick tick
You sound like the people that thought they nailed Jesus to the cross. You sound like a dummy because you believe hear say by saying they caught Bin Ladin. We can go on arguing about it only GOD knows, not your GOD, OUR GOD. I just feel the American Rulers felt so ashamed that it was not Bin Ladin that they dropped something in the sea and claimed it was him. I think he died in hospital couple years back. GOD didnt create only christians but everybody, he is One, cos if they were more than one and a trinity, the universe would not work so systematically. He created you as well and gave you brains so make use of it.
oh sorry one more thing, Muslims dont bury at sea.....we suppose to bury in the ground......that was a lie too. So dont worry , you people are paying for the drones, they are very cheap, cost the government nothing but the citizens hard work. So the guy that spied on Jesus, GOD changed his face into the face of Jesus and he was crusified.....so beware of what you say and do BECAUSE GOD's drones cost him nothing, nor does he need to find out where you are.
You keep yappin' like that fuul , you may have to play the game posthumously.
muslims= wasted space.....at least everytime one blows themselves up, there is more room.
Well nutcase,
the good news is we can make drones cheaper and faster than you can make terrorists.
Let's just hope that you're right, truth always wins. By wantonly murdering Anwar al-Awlaki, we have villified ourselves before the world as a nation of blood thirsty sickoes!!!
In fact our politicians and warmongers, and war contractors are exactly doing that! Invading other countries provoking even decent people to pick up arm against us by their aggression! truth always wins, you are absolutely right they are killing one suspected terrorists and creating thousands real terrorists !
This reminds me of the story of Ebrahim(A.S) known as Abraham who once addressed a king like the pharaohs who said he was God. He asked Ebrahim who he believed in? He said "i believe in the one who gives life and takes life" The king thought he was speaking to a stupid boy so he said "bring two prisoners...free this one and kill the other, see i gave life and took life" Ebrahim(A.S) then said " i believe in the one that make the sun rise in the east and set in the west. Can you make it rise in the west? America has adopted the kings of the past strategy. DEAD MAN TELLS NO TAILS. The leaders have taken Gods law into their own hands. "THEY THINK THEY ARE GOD" Where is that thing called democracy? Where is the fair trial, witnesses, evidence? The TRUTH seems like its not winning but why do you think he showers America with hurricanes, tornados, eartquakes one by one....IF THEY DO NOT ANSWER HERE, THERE IS ALWAYS THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.
Where are the fair trials, witnesses and evidence when Al Qaeda sets off a car bomb? Or when they plant a roadside bomb? Or when the send a mentally challenged child to blow himself up? STFU!
um thats called nature.. kind of like when the sunami 4 years ago killed 250,000 muslims...
Now you sound like you dont know who your creator is? are you by any chance an atheist? Mother nature is what people use in pre-school to explain to children. GOD is our creator, the creator of the universe and everything around you, he gives you the air you breath, he controls what you call mother nature. He has control over everything.
Cat Stevens (Yusaf Islam) is an American Muslim. Anwar al-Awlaki was also an Amrican Muslim. Yusaf Islam is following the path of peace, al-Awlaki followed the path of destruction. Who is at fault here: The Islam or the individual?
islam, because not speaking out against evil is just as wrong as the evil itself...
Absolutely right! Islam is the evil, because it creates men like Al-Wacko and ruins good men like Cat Stevens.
Cat Stevens is not an American.
Cat Stevens is from England ...
Do we have leaders, or do we have rulers? I believe what you are seeing answers this question.
OK...so I just want to understand. I thought the war on terror was anounced to be over. I thought those already captured were to be tried in court as that was the correct place to try them. So...what happened. Drones cheaper???...What changed (I'm picturing Michael Dukakis in a tank right now
) I am not comfortable with any person in power who believes in our legal system at one point and then throws it out of the wondow and decides to send drones with bombs. I want a bit more consitiency and...a more transparent process so I know when to run and hide after I pi$$ off the wrong person.
we will hunt these guys down the next 100 years, just like we hunted down all the nazis...these dopes are never to be safe or have a good nites sleep....dont mess with the US, and you wont have to worry like these cowards have to.
Use your brain and not your VENGEFUL BLOODLUST.
The US government is the NAZI regime and you eat it up like ice cream and gorge on the propaganda they spew.
You have just lost all your rights, but you don't care cause you revel in revenge and bloodlust like a NAZI.
When exactly was the war on terror announced to be over? Fail.
to be a future killed leader of radical islam heres what ya need (per the picture above)
1.dont shower...wear dresses..always show the finger you pick your nose with...talk alot...act like what you say matters..
What a bunch of morons...
The government does take due process very seriously. It may not resemble what you were taught in high school but it is there none the less. There are a very large number of attorneys working in counter terrorism. Even for non-citizens the amount of paperwork and care taken in making these kinds of decisions can be frustrating to the military types. I can't imagine how much more painfully this was reviewed at ALL level of our government when it involved a U.S. Citizen. The President a handful of Congressmen and at least one judge were all involved in this. You may not trust these people, but we elected them. If you are alive in 25 years you will know all of the details.
Luckily for Al Queda they don't have to worry about such petty things as human rights, blah blah when they send kids to blow themselves up ...
Amazed at home many Americans are ok with what happened. It is a classic case of not caring because you don't think it could happen to you... until it does.. and then other won't care because it did not happen to them..
Derek. I'll tell you what.
When I convert to islam, then start preaching hate against America/Americans.
Then I run to Britian and preach more hate.
Then I run to Yemen and start using the internet to convince American-muslim-soldiers to kill other American soldiers.
When all of that happens....you can come and kill me.
Better yet, kill me when I first convert to islam.
So let me get this right. Obama was wrong in plotting to take out an American citizen who was plotting to attack Americans worldwide. I understood that that's the view of you rightwingers? So president Obama kills one US citizen who was threatening to kill scores of innocent American citizens indiscriminately and you rightwingers cry murder. And George W. Bush? He killed over 5,000 innocent US soldiers in Iraq over lies about bogus WMD's and as we speak, American soldiers are still dying in Iraq and in Afghanistan because when GWB and the GOP went into Iraq, they recklessly abandoned and prolonged the afghan war. And now a war that should have been ended five years ago, continues to wage on ten years later. And many American civilians have also died as a result of these fiascos. And what have you rightwingers have to say about that?
Recently Dick Chey said he has no regrets, this after murdering so many innocent American in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he says president Obama owes GWB and the American people an apology for criticizing their so-called war on terrorism. War on terrorism? I find that ironic since all the world terrorists are being killed under the policies of the Obama administration. So when are GWB and Dick Cheynet going to apologize for murdering thousands of innocent American citizens?
Let's face it, Dick Cheyney and GBW should be fitted for some new neck ties at the ICC in the Hague.
It's like the rightwingers have some kind of blindness when it comes to President Obama.
Of course, it's not COLOR blindness.
They see what color he is REAL well.
hahahahahahahhahaahhahahahahahahahhaha
What a joke. Right-wingers got us into Iraq and Afghanistan??? I believe those Congressional votes were near unanimous, Joe. There was no "left wing" opposition screaming that we shouldn't go... you're revising your memory to match your opinion. Bush doesn't deserve all of the blame (neither does Cheney, for that matter) and Obama doesn't deserve all of the credit. The whole thing is way to complicated for you to try to apply your simple (minded) filters.
You want to know why the soldiers are still there because the whole thing was a front. The innocent US soldiers will go on loosing their lives and more recruits will be sent over. The leaders are not affected in any way. Some people call the one or two suicide bombers "mentally challenged" ,then .what would one call ones leaders who sacrifice 5000 innocent people?? and still remain in the country adding to the numbers. I think its all about the black gold....OIL...OIL...OIL..... who in their sane mind will leave fellow ctizens in foreign countries,away from their families to die or loose limbs and end up crippled for life.
If you haven't spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan then shut your piehole...I did three tours in Iraq myself while serving with the U.S. Army. Go back to smoking weed and playing Wii in your mom's basement....
I'm sorry brother but the truth always hurts, you spent time there and so did thousands of others.......what was accomplished?? What difference was made?? what was the objective?? was there results?? is it worse now than before the war or better?? why are the soldiers still there?? how long do you think they will remain?? at whos expense?? America has no money....
We are in a war. The form of the warfare is different from what we have confronted in the past, but it is still a war. In war, you kill your enemy. Do you really believe it would have been realistic to walk up to al-Awlaki’s door and try to arrest him? Your vehicle would have been hit by a bodyguard with an rpg before you even set foot on his property.
In generally, American was & is in wars, and growing by wars... founded by..with briton king, unity by civil war, with spanish qeen then Menor doctrine, go west conquered all indians.. stepped into WWI, WWII.. Korea war... Vietnam war.... and more and more wars.
War never win war(s). the JUSTICE does.
If you want to waste your time over Awlaki's alleged U.S. citizenship, go ahead. Everybody needs a hobby. However this guy's citizenship is determined under Yemeni law as his father was Yemeni. Dual citizenship is something Yemen just does not do. And whatever U.S. citzenship Awlaki ever really had, despite his Yemeni background, he lost it when he turned to terrorism and very vituperatively and publicly so. He not only chose to be at hazard, he dared us to even try to take him out. In sum, he asked for it as my dad used to say.
You don't just lose your citizenship because you "turn to terrorism" or because you live in another country. There is an actual procedure for either giving up your citizenship or having it removed from you. Neither procedure was followed and he was a recognized US Citizen. If you commit a crime and move overseas would you agree the President of the US has the authority to order you killed? If so then I really hope you stay away from voting booths.
DRONE THE DAD!
I have been wondering about this and have yet to see a legal discussion on it. Since Awlaki was a US Citizen, does ordering his execution without a trial equate to murder? Remember that we have different rules to terrorists that are US citizens than we do for those from other countries, and rightfully so. THIS administration has in fact pushed for criminal proceedings, trial, etc. for US Citizens involved with terrorism, but here they essentially murdered a citizen and no one seems to have a problem with it.
Mind you, I'm glad he's dead, but what door did we just kick open with this move? What if he had been on US soil at the time? Would it have been any less or more legal to shoot him down in the street? Also, if we can order the death of a US Citizen, without trial, and without legal proceeding for terrorism, what other crimes can the President order someone killed for?
Glad he's dead but concerned we have set a precedent that we never should have set.
As soon as he joined al-Qaeda, he was no longer a US Citizen and therefore no longer under the protections provided by the laws of the US. Read the inside of your passport, it clearly states when you join a military that is not part of the US, you no lose your citizenship.
Doh, spelling and grammar fail on my part...
As soon as he joined al-Qaeda, he was no longer a US citizen and therefore no longer under the protections provided by the laws of the US. Read the inside of your passport, it clearly states when you join a military that is not part of the US, you lose your citizenship.
Look at the picture of the guy who played the "jewel" in Jewel of the Nile and tell me that these guys couldn't be twin brothers.
I don't think the people in NY, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania would care much about knocking off a few terrorist, Muslim or not, regardless of where they were at.
Protecting innocent should be the first priority than killing a suspected guilty person without trial. Even in war zone we don't shoot at unarmed enemies. Misusing a power by authority is a serious problem than killing some suspected terrorist without trial. A king can be a worst killer to own people with holding power than a hiding runner on watch list.
Anwar al-Awlaki: What we learned from his killing?
Don't make war against your own country. Pretty simple isn't it?
On another note since the media and some out spoken people have made a big issue about Americans killing thier own how come I don't see devil signs of Obama and effigies being burned? If this occured in Bush's term without a doubt 100% we would be seeing this in the streets right now on all over the country.
We hold double standards in this country and there is a segment of socilaists who oppress facts.
"...Attorney General Janet Reno opposed the cruise missile strikes against bin Laden’s complex in Khost Afghanistan, in retaliation for the East African U.S. Embassy bombings, because she did not believe it met the standard for a self-defense attack..."
Which just goes to show why Janet Reno was the second worst AG in American history and Clinton's foreign policy was the worst since LBJ. Had they acted then to rein in the terrorist threat, perhaps nearly 3,000 American lives would have been spared on 9/11/01 and we would not have needed to invade Afghanistan and remain there 10 years later and counting.
Let's be fair. Janet Reno, at great personal risk, put on an Easter Bunney outfit and was lowered with an ATF team from a UH-60 helicopter on Easter Sunday. Machine gun fire tore the house apart. Unfortunately, Kenny's mom resisted and he was mortally wounded, but Janet Reno led the gutsy charge.
We learned that two hellfire missles can blow the crp out of an SUV convoy.
I'm reading alot of hysterical "what if" scenarios! Please people, calm down, the government is not coming after you, me or any of us, OK! This is war, one brought to us by al-Qaeda! That is the only terrorist faction were taking on, not the Taliban, not al-Haqqani, not even the al-Qaeda spin off group operating in Kenya & Somalia, al-Shababa (probably spelling that wrong)! We are only going after known leaders, not iffy possible, maybe's & this was a 1st of its kind operation! Who knows what will happen next time! But trying war criminals is something you do after the war is over! We are still at war with a steady moving target! So far all I'm hearing is dissent,the above mentioned hysterical scenarios, & criminal trial! None of that will cut it in a war with terrorists! Where are y'alls backbones & support, Americans? Every 1 has said Obama is too soft, now he's not & still he's wrong!? Stop FlipFlopping citizens!!
I guess you heading the search mate cos you say "known terrorist" The US knows nothing.....sorry the US knows everything....they are the mighty US......but then you got the UN....and all the other allies who they need to face and answer to.....bear in mind they only have to answer if asked.....most of the time it just slides through.....just shows where the UN stands......politics,,,,,politics,,,,,what a dirty game. So first there was weapons of mass destruction(no weapons were found and nobody will touch IRAN cos they got the weapons for REAL)......now there is war on terror......whats next??? we will have to wait and see...
Last Friday, we heard the reports that a US drone strike had killed US born Muslim Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. And the mainstream media didn't really seem all too bothered by the fact that their own government had just assassinated a US citizen without any due process. According to a new study released by the US Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Center, they say al-Awlaki's death is unlikely to impact AQAP's operations in Yemen or its desire to attack the interests of the US. They also say that instead, the US should focus on taking out the actual operational leaders like Nasir al-Wuhayshi. But this is something that you didn't hear all over the mainstream news.
OK, its gone, who's next, ACLU?
The so-called LOGIC I read from many that think Awlaki should have "somehow" been arrested and brought to trial is ridiculous. Sheeeeeeesh. We are in all-out war against these people. The ole "frontline" concept of warfare has gone with tha wind. We're into "blowing up people, buildings, airplanes, boats, etc etc etc type warfare. You fight fire with fire. Had Awlaki got away yet another time, there's just no telling how many of us and Allies he might have killed. At the time he was killed he might have had his finger on a red radio button that might have resulted in a thousand deaths. QUESTION: how do ya kill a rattle-snake ?????.....ANSWER: As quick as ya can.
I generally oppose Obama on most all issues. But Hey this guy was a danger to America because he hated America and had the tools to attack it. Maybe the paper work said he was American but his love was for death of Americans. Thanks Obama.
Good job Obama you killed a man who could have caused another Sept 11. His heart was a terrorist not a American. On most other issues I oppose Obama.
Censorship apparently is alive and well at CNN.
Blah Blah Blah !!!....There is no law to protect those who are trying to destoy America. Now, get ur butt back to work people !
The Obama administration has been more effective in eliminating terrorists and their infrastructure than his predecessor.
The war is evolving. While Presidents change, the brass in the military largely remains unchanged. I do believe the next President will also get accolades for showing more improvement than this one because the tactics utilized by the CIA and military will continue to improve. Quite frankly, I'm impressed with the use of the drones. Had we had the expertise immediately following 9/11, we might possibly have been able to take out the leaders of the Taliban and even Saddam Hussein without invasions. I do find it ironic that the sitting President is now engaging in activities for which he heavily criticized the previous administration. The sad fact seems to be that if you need a boost in your polls either go to war, or assassinate some bad guy.
He dead now, so who cares about any of the legal crap. Next victim!
I find the expression, "U.S. foreign policy objectives" hilarious. The objective would be to prevent someone from encouraging/helping marginal individuals to stuff plastic explosives in their underwear and take a trip; persons from walking into a busy military deployment processing center and spraying it with bullets; idiots packing explosives into SUV's and parking them in Times Square.
Sorta like saying that putting brakes in cars is a legal strategy or shooting a home invader was a financial strategy to ensure future earning potential by not being dead.
Killing the likes of Al-waki or Bin-Laden has nothing to do with politics or foreign policy. It's self-defense or simply war.
You know very well that when MUSLIMS have to keep reminding us that their ISLAM is "about peace", there must be a problem. They are partially correct in saying this, but fail to tell you about the conditions that go with THEIR definition of “peace”. The fact is that their Islam means “peace” IF (huge “IF” here) when one (a muslim) “submits and surrenders” to their (sharia) way of life and to their moon-god-allah.
If you don’t “submit and surrender”, there is NO PEACE…never has, is, and will be...and hence the holy hell ISLAM continues to bring to our earth.
Another terrorist is dead, enough said.
How disgusting this is!!! After reading all these comments here glorifying the bloody and obscene murder of this Anwar al-Awlaki, I get neaseated with the ignorance of these people who believe that it's a good thing to kill people, proving just what a very sick society we have become indeed. Their is absolutely no glory or justice in cold blooded murder and Barack Obama himself needs to be indicted and brough to justice for this very wanton act!!!
an eye for an eye
They kill so many terrorists by drone attacks and no body care about law, now terrorist turns out to be american citizen and all this fuss.... is it all about about american citizenship humanity means nothing?
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