Avtomat-Acolyte
Well-Known Fanatic
http://news.yahoo.com/rare-look-obama-decides-send-drones-kill-americans-031832960.html?.tsrc=yahoo
Recently published memo / guidelines authorizing the assassination of US citizens using UAV drones.
On it's face that doesn't seem so unreasonable or alarming. Until you begin to question what "an associated force" means today, means tomorrow and will mean in 10 years. Also think about exactly who is making that determination today or in the future.
Sounds to me like cabinet members of Obama's White House can unilaterally order the assassination of US citizens without any 1) evidence or 2) review (checks & balances)
And there are people out there, and even here on this forum, that question the "need" for MANPADs and other weapons of war.
Recently published memo / guidelines authorizing the assassination of US citizens using UAV drones.
Put simply, the government believes that a lethal drone attack against an American citizen is justified if the targets are a) "senior operational leaders" of al-Qaeda or b) "an associated force."
On it's face that doesn't seem so unreasonable or alarming. Until you begin to question what "an associated force" means today, means tomorrow and will mean in 10 years. Also think about exactly who is making that determination today or in the future.
The memo suggests that anyone who "presentan 'imminent' threat of violent attack against the United States" qualifies for "a lawful killing in self defense," but that "does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future." In other words, an "informed, high-level" official can order the killing of any American citizen that was "recently" involved in threatening "activities." As Isikoff points out, the memo fails to define both of those terms.
Sounds to me like cabinet members of Obama's White House can unilaterally order the assassination of US citizens without any 1) evidence or 2) review (checks & balances)
And there are people out there, and even here on this forum, that question the "need" for MANPADs and other weapons of war.