Exactly how stupid does the media expect us to be? Really that is worth knowing, because it would have been so deliberately ignorant, of the press and for that matter most of the human punditry to not have known of these implications from the very first time that a drone was used?

Anyone one with mind that has not been bought off by an owner would have known of its potential.

In war, in peace, in the alleged war on terror, in every war of the future, in a future where it is obvious that the enemy could and will avail themselves of any and all of the same technology we have spent trillions on perfecting.

Is it really about one U.S. Citizen that we are going to hold dear for some valued principle? What principal would that be, as we can stand idly by as we lose one person every 15 minutes to a right to hold life and death at a common weapon.

Where is your outrage, as pundits make hay, while the most powerful legislative body on Earth the U.S, Senate sees only their interests, damming generations to stand wait while the World's wealth is squandered. Is the U.S. Senate perennial conduct and misbehavior worth, the world?

Have an honest opinion, but do not sell that opinion to the highest bidder, have some pride.

Attorney General Eric Holder, in a talk at Northwestern University Law School in March, endorsed the constitutionality of targeted killings of Americans,,

_____________________________________________________________________

If anyone has past experience in killing Americans it is this criminal named Eric Holder who heads the Department of "Justice".

He is the same moron who authorized sending scores of weapons to Mexican drug gangs who turned around and used them to murder American agents.

Further, Eric Holders Department Of "Justice" was handed on a silver platter all of the evidence necessary to prosecute some of the biggest names on Wall Street, and those corrupt MORONS chose to do nothing.

THAT is our Department Of "Justice" under Eric Holder. They will prosecute Wesley Snipes or Martha Stewart, but not the "too big to prosecute" on Wall Street and in our filthy banking sector.

And we should place trust in our government to decide life and death of American Citizens with no due process??? No over sight???

Sounds like a bleak future for a nation founded under the now quaint fairy tale of "All men are equal in the eyes of the law."

(They have already OK'ed drone use here in America.)

Once Obama does away with the second amendment

We are all toast

Hello folks, Bush gave us preemptive war and Obama has given us remote controlled war (he may not have started it but it is his calling card). The government doesn't even care to hide their nefarious and illegal policies. Its contemptuousness is in your face with a devil may care hubris. They are so confident that we can't do thing one to stop it! Obama and Bush need to be charged with war crimes!

This goes beyond party lines. We can and need to take back control of and make our constitution legal again.

This memo is your call to duty!

When Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall just after the second drafting he was approached by a woman on the street and she asked what manner of government have you bequeathed us? And Franklin said "a Republic Mam, if you can keep it". The responsibility of a country is not in the hands of a privileged few. We are strong and we are free from tyranny as long as each one of us remembers his or her duty as a citizen whether it is to report a pot hole at the top of your street or lies at a State of the Union Address or standing up for your Constitutional rights. Speak out ask those questions, demand that truth. Democracy is not a free ride but this is where we live and if we do our job this is where our children will live.

Who will stand and fight for our constitution? You don't have to bear arms you just need to communicate your displeasure to anyone who will listen. The time is not to be silent but to speak out.

Second, it is talking about Americans who are actively working with our enemies.

And the next step is targeting them in a case like this here on our own soil. And then what happens when there is an economic (possibly global) collapse and possible revolution. Then YOU are the enemy they think they can so freely take out with drones. Before, our government would have to worry about defection of military members when they start ordering them to fire on us. Now, they're assuring any semblance of Anti-American sentiment can be dealt with by drones...just in case. Good god, if people don't see what the forward intentions of memos like this are for...we're all doomed.

Ironic, gun reform pushed in the same month as the president deems that he can execute American citizens without trial.

I'm an independent by the way, and voted for Paul before you reds or blues start flaming.

#2.4 This goes beyond party lines.

The dislike of Obama on the Right might work well to unite "conservatives" with the ACLU (yes, the ACLU!) to challenge the practices described in the memo. Weren't Awlaki's parents going to bring a case against the government?

http://www.aclu.org/national-security/targeted-killings

We are a government of laws not men. That is to protect anyone from being targeted just on the "say so" of another (even a President or a General). It is what prevents one neighbor from causing trouble for another (as they do in countries without precedence of the rule of law).

Here's how it works:

I don't like my Pakistani neighbor's son. I post information about him on the internet and expose his strongly-expressed, teenage, rebellious sympathies for the terrorists. When his family visits Pakistan (foreign soil), he is targeted and killed while riding a moped with a family friend. No judicial review. Don't we need at least something like the FISA court, or a committee of congress, to review the targeting of enemies not involved in the heat of a battle? I trust that the targeting of al Awlaki was not done lightly and that the decision was carefully reviewed and documented, but I share the concerns of those who decry the lack of a hearing.

It is possible that we have targeted "thinkers" not "doers" and that our government is merely getting public relations mileage from striking at them. It is only on trust that I assume these people were not targeted lightly, and were given considerable consideration by those (Obama) executing these "wars". We need more than trust: we need some form of due process.

Barry has no problem with killing as long as his hands don't get dirty... even if it's his own citizens.....

Today, they are in Pakistan.... tomorrow...... Cleveland?

Maybe Obama got this released on purpose, so there would be a broad outcry against it and he could then move forward with objectives of his, like closing Guantanamo.

Killing by drones is utopian war: instead of killing the footsoldiers, you kill their leaders. It's the just future of warfare. There is much less "collateral damage".

Our drones are not equipped with a "pick them up and hand-cuff them" leash, nor a "read them their rights" loudspeaker. Is the Military obligated to go to extraordinary means, risking lives, to capture these suspects, in foreign countries, in order to turn them over to civil authorities? Are the suspects then subject to extradition procedures, or can they legally be simply turned over to civil authorities, in the USA, for trial? I can understand that if one of these citizen-turned-terrorist suspects turned themselves in, they should be offered protection and then they can be presumed innocent and the burden to prove them otherwise would fall to their prosecutors. For example, al Awlaki could have used his trial to portray himself as a "thinker" not a "doer", or to justify his actions.

Lots of innocents are killed in the conflicts and skirmishes of these many "wars". But for the instigators, we are to reserve special treatment and extend to them the dignity and importance we denied the innocents??? Maybe the due process we need is a hearing before they are targeted (something like the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court): were they only advocating violent actions or were they instigating, training and financially supporting the actors. In a "war" you don't normally evaluate the motivations of the poor unfortunates stuck on the front lines: they die on behalf of "their" cause. Most of them are innocents.

#2.8 - Barry has no problem with killing as long as his hands don't get dirty.

You can admire Obama for one thing: he has taken personal responsibility for every targeted victim. In case there are war crimes, or constitutional issues involved, the blame lands on him (he's taken it on).

(none of the I can't recall, I may have had Alzheimer's at the time).

In end of 2013, contractors will release an improved surveillance drone over a test city in the USA. It will be equiped with the newest imaging system capable of 13B pixels of resolution. It is designed to hover over a 25 square mile area for an extended period and simply record video. Lets say it stays aloft for 12 hours and then returns home. In that period, a bank robbery, convience store robbery, home burglary, mugging, etc all happened within the 25 sq mile imaged area. The police can zoom in and read specifics of license plates, make out faces enough to use in court for idenifying suspects, and zoom in on cars leaving a crime scene and then following them through the video files to where they went into a building or even made a car exchange and then follow the new car. Now, get 3 more birds up with the same capability and you can cover most of America's largest cities. Imagine crooks now trying to figure out how to foil that system. I imagine they will have to move their car exchanges to way out in the boonies.

Where is Fiesty or other dangerous progressive/communist types on this subject?

Well.... will we go back to waterboarding?

Steve -

“If you believe the president has the power to order U.S. citizens executed far from any battlefield with no charges or trial, then it’s truly hard to conceive of any asserted power you would find objectionable,”

I thought it was only to be used in combat zones?

This the same dude that gets rilled up over pouring water on somebody? But he will turn around and light up an American without a trial with a hellfire missle?

lol..... I can hardly wait for the other 3500+ posts on the first run of the story to make it here.

"Hold on boys its gonna be a bumpy ride"

Why not have drones flying over our heads? Just imagine all the money that can be saved leading up to presidential elections. Take out the opposition and clear the path all the way to the office, without spending $ hundreds of millions.

In many ways, I am a supporter of President Obama.

But, this is morally and ethically wrong in every sense of the word and I am ashamed to be an American.

Unfortunately, President Obama is further eroding American Civil Liberties, which was on the fastrack under President Bush.

I usually reserve this for the Alice in Wonderland, Party of No....but...Heck of a job, Obama.

The question needs to be asked, if this had been done under the last administration would have both houses gone for impeachment? Like it or not all Americans are given the right for due process before this government can pronounce judgement on them. By bypassing this I think that the white-house has at least gone outside their jurisdiction and at worst has grossly misused the office. Either case this needs to be stopped, our founding fathers set up the rights not to protect us from each other but to protect us from the government. This needs to be stopped and if the white house knowingly broke the law then impeachment proceedings should be seriously looked at. This is not a political thing (and politics need to stay out of it) this is a line that the government has crossed that they are openly defying the constitution and becoming judge, jury and executioner without any due process.

Authorization to kill American citizens without a trial. I'm OK with that. Do away with the 2nd amendment I'm OK with that too. 30,000 drones over america, I'm OK with that. Death camps in America I'm OK with that. Hold on I dropped my crack pipe, where was I? What the hell did I just say ? Are you crazy, I'm not OK with any of that !

I seem to recall that once an individual leaves the U.s., its territories or embassy/consulate they are beholden to the laws of that country.

We (the USA) had better have permission from that sovereign nation to take out anyone by assassination, especially if done by us.

If bin laden wasn't such a dispicable character it amazes me that pakistan didn't complain to the UN or that the world court didn't condemn our actions.

-------------------------------------

wtw of KC...

Best look out, drones are planned to be based in Des Moines, Ia. That is if you believe the recent reports by KCCI, Des Moines (CBS affiliate). Big brother will be watching!!! KC flyovers will be possible.

With reference to the articles headline of "judge, jury and executioner"... isn't that just another way of obama issuing an "executive order"? Oppps, I mean "execution order"? Seems that obama and company have no interest in trying to follow any international rule of law. Pity the children who voted for him.

I have voted against every congressman who voted for the patriot act, ever since. I even vote in the republican primary to be able to vote against some of them, (bad mistake, they filled my mailbox and nearly wore my phone out). The patriot act and drones, the shame of out country. And yes, I was just as opposed when it was bush.

And no, I will never be in favor of drones, no matter how many buildings are bombed. If you were capable of logical thought, you would realize that drones do not make friends and friends do not bomb our buildings. See it's like 2+2, drones = enemies. I'm not saying that if we stopped them, the muslims would become our friends but they're not helping. Do you seriously think that drones are scaring any muslims? What part of suicide do you not understand?

I am posting here to try to get one step ahead of the book burners.

Don't any of you people "star gaze" at night? The drones have been up there watching us for the last few years. If you know the stars , there's been a few too many up there... and not I'm not seeing things and no there aren't clouds getting in the way either. I'm a night owl, and I've been noticing this for a while now. I've got my neighbor and a few freinds watching now too .. we all can't be seeing things.

P.S I live in a farming city , no smog mostly of the time nice clear skies.

Sorry, should have been, "the shame of our country."

American,

While any American is responsible for abiding by the law of a country they are visiting, the US government is responsible to uphold the constitution regardless of which country it is in when dealing with Americans.

WTF??? An enemy of the country, regardless if they were a citizen once upon a time, does not desreve our wasting our time in deliberation as to whether or not it is illegal to shoot them from a drone. If you are against us (people, government, and ideologies ) and are actively trying to hurt us in our home, I will pop you myself just as you would do to me. You are fair game and so am I... but I just need to learn how to cross the street without being hit... and then you are toast!

Man does this trample all over the constitution or what?

Drone strikes by our own government on its citizens. This is as bad as Stalin and Hitler. And you lefties complained about Bush.

Who is to say who is a terrorist? Under suspicion of immanent threat or guilt by association.

Democrats were all for Juris Prudence for captives in Gitmo being tried in civilian courts. I guess that luxury is only afforded to enemy combatants, and not for citizens of the United States.

rimbauda......how do you know for sure what Obama has done or hasn't done? I'm a Citizen of The United States, I pay as much attention to current events as a working person can. I didn't have any idea until yesterday about these 'Plans' that have apparently been in the works for almost a year or more. What is expected of average working men and women in this country in regards to staying abreast of current events? Are we all supposed to leave our homes and jobs and camp out in Washington listening for an indiscriminate whisper to find out what our Government has up its sleeve?

If you are sure of our Governments intentions, I want you to state your reasons for being so. Keeping these 'interpretations' secret from the people for almost a year or more does NOT give me the feeling that our Government is working in the behalf of its citizens.

I wonder what effects information of this sort would have had on his re-election? People already knew Romney was two-faced liar, but expected and hoped that Obama was cut from a different cloth......only to find out that he may well be worse than Romney. Romney only seemed interested in his moneyed friends wealth and ways to secure more for them. Obama has a much more sinister agenda, I fear. And...he also knew it wouldn't set well with people or he might have addressed this when it was being considered at least a year ago.

Re-interpreting the Constitution isn't something you just do on a whim when you're running a country that's governed by law, especially if you've had training at Harvard on the subject...........hmmmmm.......I wonder.........I wonder what Harvard has to say about this? Hmmmm........Didn't Bush also attend that same school? And didn't he and his cronies also have some out of the mainstream ideas about what rights Americans have and don't have?

Sorry, should have been, "the shame of our country."

I have no special knowledge of bush but I have always felt that, on some level, he knew that what he was doing was wrong. I never had that feeling about jfk or lbj.

This is the same crap Bush pulled both parties are being worked by the same puppet master. Good by America.

Obama has totally disregarded the provisions of the Constitution for which he swore an oath to uphold. He makes law without authority. And, from the first months in office he has killed citizens without authority. No citizen of any country is protected against the killing reach of Obama. And we impeached Clinton for lying to Congress?

I'd also like to know exactly when last year that Feinstein knew about this 'policy'? What in Hell is going on with our government? Is winning really that important?

Well now... Thanks Mr. Obama!! Not only can our Military Arrest, and detain American citizens (within the physical borders of the United States)(previously not allowed by the Constitution of the United States) for and indefinite period of time with no charges being filed, but now the president can order a hit on any American citizen he believes is a threat to our national security without filing charges or obtaining a conviction... Just like Russia, or China or any other communist country!! So how do you like that "Change" now?

Thanks to you folks who voted Obama in again, just in case you didn’t realize how screwed we are then, I’m sure he has a few more tricks up his sleeve for later in his term...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/with-reservations-obama-signs-act-to-allow-detention-of-citizens/

As a constituent, I have been nagging Senators Feinstein and Boxer and the White House on a regular basis about NDAA, drones, exculpation of the banksters, etc.

I am just wasting my time.

I would like to see ACLU take all this to the highest court, but even then I doubt anything can be done.

Voting is purposeless, the foxes (and I don't only mean Republicans) run the hen-house...

Now, at almost 70 years of age, I despair for our children and grandchildren. The ruling moneyed class of corporate traitors of America have repeatedly and steadily thrown down and trampled on every value that made this country great.

Now all we have left is jingoism and Bible thumping masking greed, pride, anger and lust.

King George to John Adams in 1785: "I pray, Mr. Adams, that the United States does not suffer unduly from it's want of a Monarchy"

Since 9/11, Bush AND Obama have set it up so the government can now:

- secretly, without ever providing notice to you, and simply by saying 'National Security' search your electronic devices, data, home, workplace, bank accounts, correspondence, and any thing you have ever done or touched

- seize a person and hold them without right to Habeas Corpus indefinitely

- fine you without right to review by jury

- deny you legal representation if they say 'national security'

- kill you at will

and they want to seriously curtail and censor what we do on the internet and what weapons we are allowed to have amongst various other rights.

think about that very carefully

Um jimcrowle, You say that you voted for Paul, I voted libertarian. All the statistics that I have seen, shows that obama/romney got all the votes. Does something smell rotten to you?

By the way, who ever is in charge of the spell checker, if I wanted the o in obama or the r in romney, capitalized I would do so.

Sponge Bob - So somebody over at the DOJ gets to make that determination (maybe they are innocent and just over there being a humanitarian)? No Judge, Jury, or Trial or anything!!!??? Look I think any US Citizens who truly start working for Al Qaieda should be charged with treason, get a fair trial, and then promptly executed. I hate murderers too. They too get to forfeit all their personal liberties (including their life in most cases). That said - they are innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial. Under your theory Mark Furman could have just executed OJ since he thought he was a murderer. Whether you think OJ was guilty or not - thats not the way we do things in the USA. Because for every OJ there is that gets off even though they're guilty, theres still more like Rubin "Hurricane" Carter that spend years in jail for crimes they didnt commit. How many more Hurricanes would we have if people at least didnt get fair trials?

Tbenton...

Sorry, I take exception to your thinking of U.S. citizens being protected by our constitutional rights and legal system wherever they travel. Just like any foreign national is protected by and understood to have to obey our laws while on U.S. soil, we should hardly expect any U.S. citizen to not be bound by another sovereign nations laws while they are on that nations soil. The only caveat lies with what agreement each country has with the world court.

Jim -768838

Where is Fiesty or other dangerous progressive/communist types on this subject?

• 8 votes

#2.13 - Tue Feb 5, 2013 4:39 PM EST------You know its around the first of the month Jim they got their checks and are shopping it up,

Anyone seen Feisty on this story ??? The crickets are deafening !!

Say madeline, the aclu has always been about liberalism/socialism, never rights. Read up on it. You are wasting your time, trying to find fairness in it. Sort of like getting help from the red cross or charity from the united way.

american_2051576 - Of course we are subject to other country's laws when travelling abroad, but the US Government should not be involved in taking the life of Americans, and should respect the individual rights of its citizens when they are abroad, even if other countries don't. Under your logic, if the FBI knew that a suspected murderer travelled to Canada on business on occasion, the FBI could just say "Screw the trial. We'll just wait until he crosses the border, and then shoot him!"

I want to Thank Michael Isikoff for bringing this issue to light. Your are a true journalist and you have my respect.

Here come the screamers.

They don't get that this has to do with Americans in a war or conflict zone, possibly conspiring with terrorists.

They don't understand what "Imminent" means.

They also think it would happen here on US soil.

They think it is corrupting our Constitution.

They think the current administration is out to get them.

They don't understand how Intel is gathered pre-strike of a drone.

They don't understand what the chain of command is.

They don't understand that on each level of Government there are checks and balances (No power absolute).

They bitch about this administration not being transparent, but yet there is this memo. (if classified top secret you'd never see it or even know about it).

They are misguided by fear and paranoia and only wish to incite anything to back up their claim that the end is near...Take action...Get your guns...Stock up on food...Get into the bunker.

It's okay...We know who you are....And so do the Feds. After all this is the net. ;-)

Now I fully expect to have a whole lot of retort as to why I am wrong, and how stupid I am, and how foolish I am....LOL

'Very, very dangerous': Experts fear implications of drone memo

Well America, here you have it. This is fu_king Obama and the Demoidiots/Socialists/Commies that you voted for, you idiots.

Second Ammendment under Dumbama=Gone

Personal Freedom under Dumbama=Gone

Constitution under Dumbama=Gone

etc.

What are you waiting for you mindless minions of America??? What are you waiting for?, another presidential Communist decree with a frigging Muslim stamp on it?

If he actually has targeted Americans overseas, then Impeach him and charge him with murder for every American killed. And I voted for the guy.

Gee, the energy efficient lightbulb just went on in the lib medias and democrats minds....it took a awhile for it to reach full brightness, like about 4 years....

Once Obama and the radical, liberal Governor of New York disarm the civilian population and destroy the second Amendment to the Constitution -It's all over

All HAIL BIG BROTHER!

American - 205------

American citizens, and foreign nationals visiting America, DO have to follow the laws of the country they are currently in residence, but the CONSTITUTION is an agreement between the United States Government and the Citizens of the United States, and is in force whether the citizen is in residence within the national borders of the United States or not. The agreement has nothing to do with your location. I don't know if that same arrangment holds true with other countries and their citizens, but it definitely, legally, holds true for the United States.

They don't get that this has to do with Americans in a war or conflict zone, possibly conspiring with terrorists

The entire USA is a battle field according to the NDAA (Obama) and previous laws passed under Bush. And it's already the policy of the Pentagon to kill any males they feel like of nearly any age (yes children) in a battle zone. Look up the kids they killed because they were collecting dung on the side of the road to heat their home. The Pentagon called these dead boys "fair game".

US Military Says Killing Afghan Children Is Fair Game

http://stopmakingsense.org/2012/12/05/us-military-says-killing-afghan-children-is-fair-game-antiwar/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Rws2VLqpY

According the the Pentagon, they don't even count these deaths as "civilian" unless you can, AFTER DEATH, prove beyond a doubt these people (even children) were innocent. Not only is the burden of proof higher than in court, and not only is the burden of proof on the defendent, but IT DOESN'T MATTER (because they are already dead).

Stop defending this and being so naive as to believe your govt cannot abuse this. You sound like a such sheep.

You obviously have not read the entire white paper, Steve. Neither do you understand anything about the Constitutional right to "due process." Nor do you apparently grasp the significance of the Justice Department's expansion of "imminence," "feasibility," and "undue risk" to mean essentially whatever they say it means. In other words, you don't understand anything about the salient features of this document and their impact on personal freedom as outlined in the Constitution.

If he actually has targeted Americans overseas, then Impeach him and charge him with murder for every American killed. And I voted for the guy.

He did it already, even before the election. One was a 16 year old boy whose sin was apparently that his father was possibly a terrorist (although the Administration refuses to bring forth evidence to this claim, and even though they are likely true, they refuse judicial review in killing U.S. citizens via this assasination program).

The boy was killed at a separate time and location than his father. He was targeted, and wasn't collateral damage. There has been thusfar no credible irrefuted proof he was connected to terrorism beyond being his father's son. Even if he was himself a terrorist, this needs to be proven to a judge. Otherwise the govt can say anyone they want dead is a "terrorist".

I say we impeach Obama and arrest him and bush and try them for war crimes, or at the very least for usurping power illegally that is not allowable to their office under the Enmerated powers and Amendments to the Constitution.

This is not a partisan issue, although some will seek to make it one.

Steve-3564331 (hope I got the # correct) "Hear come the screamers..." I would counter that "If you're not terrified, you don't know enough yet..." and just because you're NOT paranoid doesn't mean they AREN'T out to get you. If they can kill Americans OCONUS, how thin is the line keeping them from KILLING AMERICANS THERE. Anyone BHO or "Big Sis" Napolitano deems an "enemy of the state" [remember the Wesley Snipes, Tommy Lee Jones movie?] or better yet, a POLITICAL OPPONENT is TOAST, along with his family or anyone who is unlucky to be within the BLAST RADIUS of the primary and secondary high order detonations. And I'm SURE Hillary had NOTHING to do with the "Suicides" of Vince Foster who had the goods on HER, and the DC Madame whose little black book I'm sure had too-numerous-to-count entries for her BJ KING husband WHILE IN OFFICE. How about Sherrif Dever and Andrew Breitbart, who quite possibly could have swayed the election away from the Dear Leader because THE TRUTH OF WHAT THEY KNOW and work with on a daily basis? You don't think Nicolo Machiavelli would have approved "extraordinary roll-over car accidents with 'no signs of life on board'" (WHO FOLLOWED THIS GUY to make sure??) or heart-attack simulating assassinations by toxins already used by the KGB and very likely the CIA? Do YOU trust government officials whose VERY JOB is to HIDE THE TRUTH from the public? Why are FOIA and the ACLU necessary to counter the "most transparent administration in American history..." ? Heard tell Cassandra's Curse was that no one believed her in her "madness," but she was RIGHT about the pending doom of Troy.

I will give the (almost) Last Word to Johhny T who is RIGHT ON!

"rimbauda......how do you know for sure what Obama has done or hasn't done? I'm a Citizen of The United States, I pay as much attention to current events as a working person can. I didn't have any idea until yesterday about these 'Plans' that have apparently been in the works for almost a year or more. What is expected of average working men and women in this country in regards to staying abreast of current events? Are we all supposed to leave our homes and jobs and camp out in Washington listening for an indiscriminate whisper to find out what our Government has up its sleeve?

If you are sure of our Governments intentions, I want you to state your reasons for being so. Keeping these 'interpretations' secret from the people for almost a year or more does NOT give me the feeling that our Government is working in the behalf of its citizens."

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE...

EDIT: I say we impeach Obama and arrest him and Bush* and try them for war crimes, or at the very least for usurping power illegally that is not allowable to their office under the Enumerated* powers and Amendments to the Constitution.

The killing of people with drones is only slightly more disturbing than locking up dozens of young men at Gitmo and then throwing away the key. These men have been held without trial for how many years? The US has to be above this type of behavior. We are a nation of laws, but recently we have let our baser instincts get the best of us. Innocent until proven guilty. Once we have given up our moral and ethical standards, how are we better than the "terrorists"? On this side of the ocean, they are the terrorists, but on the other side I'm sure it looks a lot different.

Johnny N.

Anyone seen Feisty on this story ??? The crickets are deafening !!

------------------------------------------------

Feisty is retarded... and he/she can't pull the old liberal cherry picking thing on this story as both parties pretty much see it the same way...

A son suddenly runs into his home and yells, "Mommy, mommy, come outside and look at the fireworks!"

The mother goes out to see what's up, "Oh, no, those aren't fireworks. That's your teacher's home, Mr. Redwood. He was caught giving a lecture about free speech today and was deemed a terrorist by our government."

There has been a definite pull by both parties, Democrat and Republican to change the shape of our government and it is partly our own fault by who we vote in. Haven't you noticed the same people running our government or their family members - we now have dynasties of politicians. Mitt Romney's son is currently preparing to run for office and I guarantee you that Chelsea Clinton is being prepped for some office in the next few years. We have traded democracy for some contorted form of government by the wealthy.

Tomivento.

Yes the memo does say outside the US. What you are not understanding is that memo was written post operation to cover the Governments A$$ for what it did wrong.

Outside the US or Not, it is still a dangerous precedent that should be overthrown.

BTW: drones are already over the skys over farmland to monitor bovine flatulance levels. This is a forerunner to monitoring for purposes of determining how much damage the farm life is doing to the environment so they can be taxed.

The only way drones should be used over our land is in protection of the borders, not regulate the citizens.

As far as the American being over there meeting with and leading Al Qaida, then he was asking to be killed. If they knew for certain he was there, then he probably should not have been taken out until a this policy was written and known by the public.

The precedent of acting first and then creating a policy is a dangerous practice that should not be tolerated.

The was a big to do about Flight 93 on 911 being shot down by military aircraft. I can tell you from witnesses on the ground in Derry, PA that they heard the plane go over head (it was unusual to have a large plane fly over that town, especially at a low altitude). In five minutes they heard two smaller planes fly overhead. Given the distance from Derry to Shanksville and the time, the plane could not have been shot down.

Millitary protocol did not cover shooting down a civilian jet liner believed to be hijacked by terrorists. Even then, protocol for an errant flight is to gain a visual contact with the first and attempt to gain audio contact. Today, you can be assured that there is a established protocol for shooting down a civilian jet liner.

Now, would you have accepted the military shooting down the airliner at that time. Maybe, but there is not bureacrat in the military or govenment that would want to accept the responsibility for such and action.

Steve - the article explicitly states that the drones can be used in non-combat zones ... do you read?

Hate to tell all you fools - but the sky is not falling. I hope to hell that the President is trying to chop the head off of Al Qaida - regardless of their nationality or where they are. If you don't - then you are arguing for giving aid to the enemy - and they are our enemy.

Any fool that chooses to join a group that is trying to kill americans is an enemy, and they should be treated like any enemy. If your city was being hit with bombs, then you may change your attitude.

The fools leap to the conclusion that they are next. I ask the rest of you what they (the fools) are doing that they think that they are next? I am not worried about this. Obama is applying the same logic that LIncoln did. If an American takes part in, or actively recruits others to attack the USA, then they are enemy combatants. Time for them to die.

And the fools arguments against drone attacks are almost identical to the arguments against submarines in the early 20th century. I want my President (and Generals) to use tools that allow for the enemy to die with the least risk to US troops. This is their job, and they are doing it quite well. Progress waits for no man. Time to join the 21st century.

All this is happening under who's watch?

Remember voters, you voted for this!

Where's the libbie leghumpers on this one? They run & scurry like rats when the truth comes forth.

While I don't have a problem with killing U.S. citizens abroad who are working with terrorist organizations, I do have a problem with the government not having to provide any evidence that the citizens are working with terrorist organizations. A lack of transparency will inevitably result in killings of Americans abroad for reasons unrelated to terrorism

Obama is the scariest of politicians. He has the ability to make an awful lot of people think he is doing all these various things to "help" them. All the while, he could care less and has his own agenda.

Clinton was a womanizer and a baffoon at times but basically a moderate who loved the country. Bush was also a buffoon at times and though we may question the war in Iraq I think he really felt a certain responsibility to 9/11 and it happening on his watch and everything else he did was an effort to protect us. He became blinded by that attack. We all may have had we been sitting in that chair.

Obama is slick....far more dangerous then either of the two prior to him. He believes he knows what is best for all of us, and that we should just let him do his thing and we will be better off. And seems to have the silver tongue to make many believe he is right. He has a ton of power and has abused it... he has already just about ruined our economy......much easier to control people when they have no money, no way to defend themselves and no hope.

Our government has already done a couple of "Opps, wrong house!!!" drone attacks in the Middle East - coming soon to a home near you!

I knew I would get back theory and hypothesis.

You all know as well as I do that if there was anything to this, what so ever the Republican party would have jumped on this. and we would be calling this "DRONEGATE".

Why did not one of the issues you all are going on about come out in any of the hearings? No questions from McCain to anyone about the points your trying to make...none from Paul....Nothing.

All of the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee knew about this way before you and I, and that is just one body of the Federal Government....Not to mention the rest of them. Why no up-roar?

Go ahead tell me I don't understand again. Give me a break

ProIndividual, sounds like you and the Libertarians (ACLU, anyone?) have the high ground on this one.

I'm not a lawyer or historian, but I am a college-educated individual with some advanced degrees. Can an actual LAWYER or better yet the ACLU tell me which of the Constitutional Amendments enshrined in the Bill of Rights DOES NOT apply to the use of robotic killers orbiting over our neighborhoods? On how many levels is this SO TOTALLY WRONG?? Voltaire's words were never truer--"It is dangerous to be RIGHT when the government is WRONG..."

www_archives_gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

[substitute a "." for the "_" in www_archives_gov, NOT the bill_of_rights part, and you have the National Archives DOT gov website]

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have
been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

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Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

____________

OBTW, it was the Several States who created the Federal Government in the first place, SEVERELY LIMITING its power. I will give the Last Word to President Thomas Jefferson:

"Let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution..." [The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, Annals of America, 4:65-66]

At least our government puts on an entertaining show to make us think there is a two party democratic system in place.

Sponge bob ! You got it right on tap, if you are against the country, its citizens and ideologies then that makes you an enemy of every living American and should be dealt with a acordingly and as a fellow citizen turned against the country joining forces with the enemy, well you should be broadsided ASAP with a big KA BOOM !

David @ post #2.39

We are talking about an individual that has gone over to the enemy, is conspiring with the enemy, wanting to do harm to you and your family and neighbors and to destroy all that you have should the chance arise and you want to give them a "maybe lets see if they're sorry" and they won't do it again? We're not talking about a parking ticket here!! They want to hurt you!! They want to kill you!! They are doing everything that they can to destroy your ( our )way of life.

Naw... they are in the wrong place at the wrong time, associating with the wrong people for the wrong reasons to do wrong things.

Toast!!

DaveyJones,

The bombing drones are not over our neighborhoods. The memo is about drones used for assassinations of terrorists abroad.

Sponge, Bob,

The problem is that the government does not have to provide any evidence that targets are working with terrorists. That is a serious issue. A lack of oversight of ANY program WILL inevitably lead to abuse and misuse. Perhaps at some point a doctor who is going from village to village giving immunizations and medical care will see a military unit conducting illegal operations or activity. Now that doctor becomes a terrorist target in order to shut him up permanently and the government is not required to explain why he was targeted.

As a Democrat - I don't like this, nor do I approve. But I find it odd that the people yelling about this so loudly are many of the same ones that every time a news story comes out about a crime, they say "kill him...", "hang him...." "put a bullet in his head...." etc.

Our government under George W. Bush began using unarmed drones,which look like flying insects,and have a tv camera in one of the "insects" eyes to transmit live tv images to our soldiers...used successfully in Iraq; today, we have even better versions,which can fly down streets,up alley ways and pass through open windows and doors, hover or land on top of your TV.....so,if they are just surveillance drones which happen to send back tv images of crimes in progress...why can't we just equip them with a small needle tipped missile and drill it into the hearts of Bad guys...whats wrong with that,if you catch them in the commission of a crime ?

25% of all the prison inmates in the entire World, are Americans,serving time in American jails...we do not have enough room-cells for more prisoners,and those prison guards and their unions cost us Billions and billions of dollars,annually !

OMG Steve, I swear if this administration took a dump on your head you would find a way to spin it to a great thing. Do you not seriously have a brain of your own? There are more criminals in Politics flat out than any other single corporation in America and you want them to have all the keys to your life. You never cease to amaze me.... never.

Ron B,

As I am not without compassion, I do believe in "wrong place-wrong time". I do understand your scenario and I do understand all the talk about innocents being harmed (kids and familes) but that has to do with the person in charge of the household allowing someone of terrorist inclinations around their family. They are the ones that have allowed harm to come to them. War is always a game of one-upmanship. If it were equal there would never be a winning side. The robotic warfare that is used by us would also be used by our enemies if they had the capability... and do you think that they would have any bad feelings if one of theirs was helping us and got killed. Hell NO!

The drone attacks against Americans were in the countries harboring terrorists and they were working with the terrorists. They deserved a long, slow, painful death and they got off easy. Hell, if these pansies keep crying, put me back in uniform and I will go over and pop them. I still have 6 years that you can call me back. They hate America and want to kill us, I will return the favor with a smile. Dirty, piece of s^%$, garbage. Rot where you drop and the same goes for all of the terrorist in any country. The President is right on this one. Swift and effective. Not knowing where it is coming from, but knowing the birds are on the prowl, they will be keeping thier heads down. If they are hiding, they can't kill people.

Hey,just saw the 2nd amendment about "right to bear arms"...clearly they were writing about the nascent nations need for a militia ( in those days EVERY able bodied male,age 16 to 60 HAD to be in the militia,exceptions :the clergy and doctors)....the militia WAS the army...but,today, the militia has morphed into the State(s) National Guard.....and SO, the 2nd amendment must be re-translated into stating that State National Guard units must have the right to bear arms......simple interpretation.

interested observer

Thank You...I have been trying to point that out to the hyperventilating paranoids for awhile now. It's nice to know there are other sane people that can see the logic, and not over react.

“If you believe the president has the power to order U.S. citizens executed far from any battlefield with no charges or trial, then it’s truly hard to conceive of any asserted power you would find objectionable,”

Let's close our eyes and imagine that Bush is still President and he ordered the 'execution' of American citizens that have not even been charged with a crime.

Now open your eyes and see how the media treats this issue under Obama.

Notice any difference??????????????

Its time for a scotch and to go and chase that little red light across the carpet...

This is one of the more valuable discussions on the vine...too bad the "thought police" have been busy collapsing the comments that do not receive their approval.

For example all that collapsed comment 1.22 stated was, "This is a very dangerous alley to go into. What's the next step........martial law?

Perhaps it went over the top but it was meant to be thought provoking!

It is very chilling to see that "our vine" has within it a group dedicated to silencing the same criticism that they themselves supported only five years ago.

I have no empathy for terrorists or criminals in any way shape or form. I do however have something against our government acting as judge jury and executioner without due process for our citizens, and if you think this is limited to the middle east and terrorists you are smoking crack. The slippery slopes you all put faith in an inept government to skate on is just amazing to me. Piss away all your rights and thoughts to let the government figure it out for you until they finally figure you don't need that last right, they will figure that one out for you to. Next thing you know we are decades in reverse, in Russia. You people have got to be totally loonie not to understand you are pissing away your rights. Terrorists are just a front for giving a blanket signature to the administration, they couldn't even identify or get right who they were giving guns to in Mexico and people died, now you want to give them the green light to make those decisions at will.

Et al:

Any person that leaves the United States to attack it from without is no longer a citizen, he or she has declared war against us. Nothing to do but kill him.

What would we be waiting for? Wait for him to strike? Find someway to capture him without loss of life? Get him back to the states and convine a grand jury to indicte him? Then we have a show trial and ten years later he's still costing us his upkeep or we have hung him, all of that being unnecessary.

People should not think that attacking the USA from foreign soil means you are still a citizen.

Is this a fair statement?

I just hope he doesn't murder his fellow American with a gun. Because, after all, that would be unamerican!

Howdy All...

Found FEISTY over on Obama Plans to Visit Israel blog

Left her & friends a msg That their input was missed.

I'm a bad bad boy. lol

Pippo,

I agree with what you stated, as far as it goes, but you are completely ignoring the fact that there is no accountability. It's the fact that the government can kill any U.S. citizen abroad, claim they were terrorists (or working with terrorists) and not have to provide any evidence to substantiate the assertion and subsequent assassination. You put entirely too much trust in our government to always be just in it's actions.

Sponge, Bob,

You stated that you understand the scenario I presented but you seem to fail to acknowledge that just because the U.S. government labels someone a terrorist does not make it fact. The point I'm making is that there needs to be accountability and justifications for assassinating U.S. citizens abroad. Go ahead and kill U.S. citizens abroad who are terrorists; just have some evidence to back up the claim to justify the killing. There should be a Senate oversight committee to review those cases.

the implication of this that its a premise that isn't limited to Al Queda:

so, say you belong to a militaristic organization in Montana and say

one of the guys gets a little whacky and takes violent action against an FBI agent one day...

this memo sets the premise that a Hellfire could suddenly land on your car on the way to work... maybe even in the US

in short.... this memo says the President can, at will, kill any US citizen anywhere in the world who is a member of any group that is in violent conflict with the US government...

it uses the example of Al Queda, but it doesn't limit the premise to them, or even to outside the US

this is exactly why we are supposed to have a free press (which isn't free anymore), and due process (which can be circumvented now), and right to speedy trial (which has dissapeared), and right to representation (which can be revoked), and the right to defend ourselves (which seemingly a lot of us want to give up instead of sensibly regulate)

If I have the right to bear arms why can’t I have a rocket launcher to defend myself against these “flying” killing machines?

Ron B-2757074

The accountability is a seperate issue. We are at war. I would love there to be clear accountability but the fog of war will never allow as much of that as we would like.

My point is there is no way, hard or easy to deal with possible attacks from every direction and squelching them in advance. We can't squelch them after the fact.

As to colareral damage, We are the world's champions in that category. We wiped out whole cities in Germany, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, laos, etc., etc., and almost anywhere we have been in an armed conflict.

But you are right, we really should have accountability and even if it has to be after the fact, we should have our leader's motivations spelled out for us and our governement is required to do our bidding. LOL, good luck with that.

When obama got elected, David Duke laughed.

With all the bitching and moaning about the Constitution being changed, the things you people are worried about is only protecting what you perceive as your rights and not necessarily every ones rights.

I have debated with some of you on different subjects, most of which have to do with constitutional rights. The thing I noticed is your all on the soap box about rights until it comes to equal rights under the law for gays to marry, then it changes to no, those are "special" rights and you have to believe in our God etc. Which I find very hypocritical where the Constitution is concerned. But I digress.

Again, I'll ask this question: Why have we not heard from anyone on the Republican side yelling about this?

We heard NOTHING....Not during the election, not after.....Nothing. WHY?

What breathtaking hypocrisy does the Left exhibit. If Bush had announced such an interpretation the echo of the Left's denunciation and demands for impeachment would have been deafening. Unanimously they would have excoriated Bush with language so vile as to be unrepeatable in polite company.

But here , when Obama does it , silence by most Liberals and outright defense of such murder by many others. Such behavior is unimpeachable evidence of the lack of integrity and honesty rampant among the Liberal class. They are truly creatures of the Double Standard.

American Hero

Perhaps you remember the American hero Richard Jewell who in 1996
discovered a bomb and was central in having the area with thousands of Olympics spectators evacuated.

Initially he was hailed a hero but then suspicions arose and he was hounded into hiding.

On NBC television Tom Brokaw announced: "The speculation is that the FBI is close to making the case. They probably have enough to arrest him right now, probably enough to prosecute him, but you always want to have enough to convict him as well. There are still some holes in this case".

That was 1996, and when the hysteria subsided people apologized profusely to the hero Richard Jewell.

Under the Global War On Terror regime Richard Jewell would have been wisked away to Gitmo. He would not get a hearing nor would he get a trial.

Knowing his fate would be Gitmo if he had decided to flee he would have been pursued and targeted by drone and cruise missle.

Interesting they aren't talking about all the non-american civilians who are killed by drone strikes.

Tells you something about the culture.

Wikipedia: "Based on extensive research, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that between 391 – 780 civilians were killed [by drones] out of a total of between 1,658 and 2,597 and that 160 children are reported among the deaths. The Bureau also revealed that since President Obama took office at least 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes when they had gone to help victims and more than 20 civilians have also been attacked in deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners..."

the power of the VP, and their hold on executive powers:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/view/

watch the entire documentary movie.

This was a part of United States History.

voxrationisExpand Comment Comment collapsed by the community

This ought to get the conspiracy nuts howling. But of course as always they will deal with everything but the facts.

Facts? Fact one, they do not have to have proof, fact 2, they do not have to give you a trial, fact 3, they can blow your ass up and anyone around whenever they want too, fact 4, it is unconstitutional, fact 5, Why would the DoJ even draft a memo saying this was legal unless they intend to us it, this has been in the works now for some time, fact 6, this is a move of a mad man, not one that gives a @!$%# about the people of this country, and these drones would not have stopped 9/11, or the pentagon attack, so they it has nothing to do with finding terrorists, it is the killing of U S citizens without judicial process, even those at Getmo got a trial.

As with most people posting, I too find this to be quite disturbing. It is attempting to set a dangerous precedent.

However, I reject the idea that this is a ploy by the President to be able to kill any and all 'undesirable' US citizens. It is much more likely that this is a well meaning attempt to prevent people who are obviously our enemies from using their US citizenship to shield themselves from the consequences of their actions.

Yet, regardless of the intent, it is wholly unacceptable. It is far better that a small number of US citizens be shielded from assassination, despite their treasonous actions, than for the government to erode our absolute fundamental rights as US citizens.

I admit, I expect much better from my government than this.

'….What is spelled out here is a presidency which has arrogated to itself the “right” to act as judge, jury and executioner in carrying out secret assassinations of American citizens as well many thousands of other human beings around the globe. The overturning of any limitations on this power of life and death lays the groundwork for a police-state dictatorship."

Justice Department memo sanctions state assassinations of US citizens

By Bill Van Auken

6 February 2013

A confidential Justice Department white paper on the legality of “lethal operations” against US citizens made public Monday night argues that virtually unlimited power is placed in the hands of the American president to order the assassination of perceived enemies of the state anywhere around the globe.

While spelling out certain conditions that would purportedly make the targeted killing of an American citizen legal—such as the target being an “operational leader of Al Qaeda or an associated force” who poses an imminent threat of violent attack and whose capture is not feasible—the paper goes on to provide arguments that essentially render these conditions meaningless and non-restrictive.

As if that were not enough, the term “associated force” is defined so broadly that a member of virtually any armed movement deemed hostile to US interests can be targeted. Moreover the paper specifically states that while the conditions it presents are “sufficient” to make such a state killing legal, the absence of one or all of them does not mean that an assassination would be illegal.

“This paper does not attempt to determine the minimum requirements necessary to render such an operation lawful, nor does it assess what might be required to render a lethal operation against a US citizen lawful in other circumstance, including an operation against … a US citizen who is not a senior operational leader of such [Al Qaeda] forces.” it states.

In other words, the document leaves the selection of assassination victims—including non-Al Qaeda opponents of US imperialism—to the discretion of the president and his military and intelligence operatives…

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/02/06/memo-f06.html

Hmmmmmmmm,

So, foreign terrorists get full Miranda Rights with full due process, but American citizens get a drone delivered Hellfire missile up their a$$.

In 2011, two American citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan were killed by Hellfire missile compliments of one of our drones. Samir Khan was not on the “targeting list”.

He was “collateral damage”!

Collateral damage today is political speak for, “Oops, we fu**ed up”. Since we are forbidden to know what crimes this Al-Qaeda promoter was charged with, it may well be that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Samir Khan’s family raised the specter of the Fifth Amendment which says, none of us can be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law”.

For years we have heard the outrage, anger and vitriol from the benevolent Left regarding water boarding and the horrific cultural damage it has done to our moral history. So now we can just have a kill or capture list by a secretive panel of senior government officials which then informs the president. No public record, just a whisper of self-aggrandizement.

Regardless of what our criminal Attorney General, Eric Holder, has said there is no law establishing the panel or setting out the rules by which it is supposed to operate. Today we attack citizens in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Algeria and other distant lands.

Funny how this echoes our Declaration of Independence indictment addressing King George III:

“He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws.”

The hypocrisy of this administration is more obvious now than ever. It’s easy to see why Barrack Husseins administration dropped the Bush-era memo investigation justifying the use of interrogation techniques many considered torture. It makes it much easier for the Barrack regime to just murder Americans,,,because.

So, where are the nightly reports from the major networks of all the collateral damage from these criminal drone strikes? Where is the running body count on CNN to demonize this obvious usurpation of our Constitutional Rights as citizens?

Obama's illegal, immoral, unconscionable drone strike program has killed at least 200 children in Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia.

Where is the Liberal moral outrage?

It’s important to keep this in perspective as we struggle to maintain our First, Second and Fifth Amendment Rights.

This is a very dangerous time in our great Republics history. We have to decide if we are a nation ruled by a Constitution and its laws or by men and their ideologies?

Remember, our alleged Constitutional scholar, Barrack Hussein, has admitted he doesn't believe our Constitution is a "Charter of Negative Liberties". This should scare the most indoctrinated Liberal/Progressive.

No one is safe under a regime that will resort to this level of Despotism.

No Feisty Redhead screaming how awesome Obama is at the top of her lungs on this one????

And RIGHT NOW, Many many concerned Americans are figuring out how long does it take an advanced Model SAM to Blow a Drone out of the sky....Depending on altitude for destruction of Target, the Drone, from 1-3minutes.

In desperate times like these, you NEED desperate measures. It is easy to stay out of the cross-hairs and dire implications of the memo - just dont work for the terrorists. simple.

I know all of us in these threads have "sparred" with each other in the past. Sometimes passionate discussion and sometimes comments in "jest". But this really should scare the "beejeejus" out of you.

First, if I ever wonder if my reaction to a topic is "partisan" I reverse the individuals involved. In this case it is Obama. Some trust him and some don't. But if Bush were to have done this would liberals have approved? I doubt it. Would I have approved if Bush did this? I doubt it. Because I would have used my "rule" and reversed the individuals to see if I still approve.

So I ask you to look at it from a wider scope and be honest with yourselves: Would you approve of this whether it was Obama OR Bush who did this? If your answer changes that confirms you are not comfortable with this "in the wrong hands".

But here is why it should scare you: the 5th Amendment to the Constitution where it says:

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger........."

Now I know you will refer towards the end of the 5th amendment portion quoted where it says "in time of war or public danger". But let's be clear: in time of war means when an opponent has a weapon and firing upon you. "In war" means "in battle". Not someone who MIGHT attack you in the future. And the second part: "public danger" means in a similar fashion where an attack is imminent. If there is a U.S. citizen holding a button in Yemen that, upon pushed, will immediately fire a nuclear weapon towards Israel or an ally THEN a drone to kill is warranted - to stop an immediate threat. Not someone who MIGHT attack you in the future.

And, lastly, define "enemy"? Define "terrorist"? We have the president himself who has called Republicans and Tea Party members those very terms. Those EXACT terms. So define "enemy" for me? Define "terrorist" for me? And remember even if you believe Obama doesn't REALLY believe Republicans and Tea Party members are not enemies or terrorists this law could allow FUTURE presidents to interpret differently.

This is a slippery slope that you truly don't want to start down. You must think "long-term" and future effects. This type of thinking from a president, ANY PRESIDENT, is incredibly scary. Please take off your "partisan hat" for a moment and REALLY think about what you are supporting. This is incredibly scary and if you really think about it opening this Pandora's Box can, and will, create events down the road you never could have imagined today.

We are a country of laws. If there is someone in the middle of an attack, or the attack is imminent, then of course we want to react accordingly. But to simply title a U.S. citizen as an "enemy" or "terrorist" and justifies an execution without due process of law is an incredibly scary power that we really must be careful nonchalantly approving. Very scary.

...AND THIS IS WHY THERE IS A SECOND AMENDMENT.

+10points FOR THE NRA, -5points FOR GUN REGULATIONS

smh!!

How will you know what caused your house to blow up,a boiler gone bad or a Hellfire missle just because you said something bad about our constitution breaking leader(?).Going to have to practice shooting high flying birdsI guess. changing locations every 12 hrs doesn't sound so bad either.

I think you have it right with fast and furious and Libya because there is no doubt by the sloppy work that this is Eric Holders Justice department.

Rubbish. Innocent citizens do not hang around a terrorist's camp wearing the rag-top gear. Even journalists have to accept the risk of getting blown to kingdom come if they happen to be in the wrong camp at the wrong time. Let's blow every single one of these fundamentalists into the next century since they will not leave the seventh.

Orb 1943, your ignorance knows no bounds. If the press reported there was a suppository bomber you would be the first to bend over at airports and all public places because we shouldn't worry if we have nothing to hide, right? Your ilk are well indoctrinated and would fit right in to Orwell's 1984.

And don't forget the 54,000,000 murdered by abortion.... it's the same bunch.........

Orb 1943...

Many of the drone hits have been on homes in villages. Families and children have been killed. That is a fact. What is amazing is the group of people who yelled about water boarding. Where are they now?

If it could save even ONE LIFE..........

That targeted American was actively engaged in plotting and conspiring to kill Americans any way possible. He was NOT attending a political rally to air grievances. He declared himself an enemy of the United States, joined with known terrorists and adopted their jihad as his own to kill Americans their sworn ememy. As such whether they engaged in face to face combat or droned him it really doesn't matter.

"The responsibility of a country is not in the hands of a privileged few." You hit the nail right on the head! I agree TrustVerify.

RJF......

How do you know this? Can you prove it? I doubt you 'know' anything for sure, unless you're inside

inner circle. You take what you hear as fact, and try to convince us that our government wouldn't be less than truthful with us, when in fact, this 'policy' has probably been in effect for almost a year or more and it's just now coming to light. Why wouldn't we hear about this when Feinstein heard about it? Now that the sheet has hit the fan she want's to know more. The time for knowing more was BEFORE we had elections...not after, unless of course you knew what the divulging of info like this would do to you.

I can't remember a time, even with Nixon, that I've been as disgusted with our government as I am right now!

It BS!!

RJF-NJ, conspiring to kill americans by "Any Means Necessary?" Sure sounds like Malcolm X who was MURDERED by his RIVALS in the Nation of Islam. How about "Guilty as Hell, Free as a Bird, Ain't this a Great Country?" Bill Ayres, whose very living room in a posh section of Chicago launched the career and Presidency of BHO??? At very least he bombed the Pentagon, as well as knows about the other attacks CARRIED OUT ON AMERICAN SOIL by his fellow MARXIST RADICALS in the Weather Underground. Does he (and the President) still consider our very own military ENEMY COMBATANTS?? Why was it that in 2009 BHO floated the idea of a "national security force as powerful and as well resourced as the military?"

Nicolo Machiavelli, as well as Leon Trotsky (whose real name was Leon Bronstein) could not have said it better.

Well, yah,some of the Harvard guys think/thought like that,such as Mitt Romney,Sen. Bill Frist,Grover Norquist etc.

Where IS the Battlefield these days ? Is it in the cockpit of a hi-jacked airliner ? Is it in a Subaru SUV heading to a fertilizer store in Iowa ? Is it in the waiting line at a railroad station in Paris where a suicide bomber,or would-be bomber waits for a train ?

There are no battlefield boundaries in the wars which we are engaged in....these wars are about Western domination of oil fields in the Holy Lands of the Muslim religion....Muslim zealots ( not mainstream Muslims) have waged Jihad against the west to get US to leave them alone.....

The USA uses more oil daily than the next 3 largest consumers of oil in the World,combined ! We have secret military bases in Saudi Arabia,Quatar,Oman and Kuwait,just to maintain our tentacles around that oil.

See the George Clooney movie "Syriana"

edwardo: These are the same people who say anything a repub does is bad and illegal, but when done by a dem, then it is OK! 6 years of Gitmo and nothing but criticism. Then when the Messiah proclaims he will close it in one year, the halleluiah chorus sings at the top of it's lungs. Opps, 3 years after Gitmo was to be closed, shhhhhh... not a word.

The liberals blanch and balk when the death penalty is urged even for murders of children and the elderly, yet here they are fine with murder of their fellow Americans never proved guilty or even arrested and tried.

How can anyone take the liberal viewpoint seriously.

I wouldn't put anything past obama or anyone of his cohorts. They could start a conflict or some other distraction and then proclaim martial law as a ruse to take over the country, with him as leader.

If an American went and joined Iraq's military for the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the US couldn't kill him without a trial?

You mean on a battlefield, actively firing at U.S. troops? Completely different scenario.

Liberals water boarding bad, blowing up people good?

Liberals water boarding bad, blowing up people good?

These people are traitors, hell bent on killing real Americans. They have declared war on this country. They deserve to be blown right out of their socks. It is a different world since 9/11. This is a country-less war. But it is war. I will never lose sleep over these people.

Torture is ALWAYS bad and indefensible, viknat. A for blowing people up, you'd better have a very solid case open to judicial review.

ONLY by Obama, if it were GWB, the media would go berserk.

The supreme court, and the Senate will pass anything for Obama! he is protected < if we had areal govenment, he would have been impeached.

DingleB, No. I mean the American is at an Iraqi communications center teaching the Iraqi military to use electronic jamming and targeting equipment for the invasion.

It's Bush's fault. And Fast & Furious - that was Bush's fault too. And BHO extending the Patriot Act - that was Bush's fault too...

If an American went and joined Iraq's military for the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the US couldn't kill him without a trial?

No, regardless of how offensive or disgusting a crime or criminal is, they can not be eliminated without a trial. If we allow this even once, they can and will do it again to anyone without the rule of law. The fact that this memo was written should be grounds for a treason charge against whoever initiated it, no matter the political affiliation.

fhbj - while that is utopic thinking, and I appreciate the sentiment, it is not the law. For example, yesterday police shot a man in a bunker who had kidnapped a boy. There was no trial.

It was Obama and nothing will happen over it. He has too many morons following him.

edwardo-1001200 (#4.8):

Did you call for impeachment of Bush when he did these same things? I doubt it.

Don't be so stupid.

iknowzero

fhbj - while that is utopic thinking, and I appreciate the sentiment, it is not the law. For example, yesterday police shot a man in a bunker who had kidnapped a boy. There was no trial.

You are comparing apples to oranges here and you know it.

while that is utopic thinking, and I appreciate the sentiment, it is not the law. For example, yesterday police shot a man in a bunker who had kidnapped a boy. There was no trial.

A police officer using lethal force to prevent the immediate danger to someone else is not the same thing as the President, or even worse one of his yes men, sitting in an office looking at a list of potential targets and going "that one." Your name is appropriate.

It's Bush's fault. And Fast & Furious - that was Bush's fault too. And BHO extending the Patriot Act - that was Bush's fault too...

Concernedone: Not too bright to use those examples. Fast and furious and the patriot act were both created under Bush. You can blame Obama for extending them but Bush was still the creator.

Larry - You.....! I know who initiated what. But to say they are a treasonistic acts, and the worst moves in the history of the USA, and not take ownership when BHO supports them - now that is interesting! Every negative thing that happens under this administration is somehow Bush's fault, or the tea party's fault, but never BHO's fault... Get it yet???

Oh, one more thing... Read the details of F&F as it was known and carried out (with the support of Mexico) under Bush, and then read how things went so badly after 2009 with the program under Holder!

Peace!

Do you want to give up?

How do you propose that we neutralize the threat against the U.S. from a widely dispersed group of terrorists across the world, in countries that have very little rule of law or ability or will to bring the terrorists to justice?

How would you give that "known" terrorist due process in the context of an alternative to a drone strike?

By the way, under Bush, many of you scoffed at using the words, "Bring to Justice". Now your all for "Justice", how about Bail.

The bottom line is we the people need to start standing up and demanding that every american be given their rights that are afforded them under the Constitution. Instead this sadly will be buried by the press that is in bed with this administration because God-forbid the truth might let their messiah look bad. I personally am tired of both sides of the news either attacking or protecting, but regardless of what they do we the people need to demand that this administration become answerable for their blatant betrayal of the constitutional rights of our citizens, and this needs to go up as far as it can until whom ever knowingly OK'ed and supported this program gets removed so this type of thing never happens again.

fhbj2000....

How about bin laden? gonna lead the populace in a protest to the world court for obamas crime of murder in the 1st? I would have thought that obama would have wanted bin laden captured and held for trial rather than just "one to the head and one to the chest".

Assassinating bin laden may have been expedient, but like you imply, obama should have been held to the same rule of law as we all are.

Jean....Did you call for impeachment of Bush when he did these same things? I doubt it. Just to lay the groundwork....did you whole-heartedly approve of Bush doing them?

Now......Let me see if I understand your thinking......Because Bush did it, it's now ok for anybody to do it?

You're not listening to the people. You're listening to a politician. The politicians answer to the people, not the other way around and the people are getting fed up with this non-sense. We want accountabilty. Using lame reasoning such as 'but....Bush did it' isn't going to wash. We want the 'Change' that was promised. Got it?

Richard with numbers.....You, Sir, are the one giving up! You would have us give up our rights because you're scared of terrorists? At the risk of being blunt.....The Founders, I believe would be looking at you and shaking their heads if you made such a statement in their presence. I believe they would politely give you your leave and

I'm leaving the rest out.

Concerned one,

Fast and Furious was no big deal. Remember, guns don't kill people.......

Another think to keep in mind. The people who crafted this theory that they can murder Americans abroad without arrest and conviction, merely on their judgment, are the same group that want to take away your rights to own a weapon.

That is a frightening proposition. They should be vigorously opposed.

Fast and Furious was all obama and holder, Bush had nothing to do with that. holder ok'd it as a way to blame gun dealers for selling guns to drug dealers,except it backfired.Gun dealers backed it up with records and recordings.

The Bush administration's actions were contrary to the Geneva conventions, and international law. See the difference/

One thing for sure is Obama can travel over sears. However, W Bush knows he had better stay home.

And executing people without having to have proof of any wrongdoing or any authorization from ANYONE is not? Come on liberals. You screamed about gitmo, you screamed about torture, but now that 'your guy' wants to just blow people up at his own discretion, it's ok? You can't have it both ways.

Why would Obama want to travel over to Sears? Nordstroms maybe but Sears????

Jwright - I think BHO is more of a "Target" shopper...

concernedone: Good one!!

Job1,

He has traveled to Africa to set up clinics for the screening of Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer from his foundation, but I am sure you missed that trip.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/zambia-george-bush

You should READ the conventions.... when the other side abides by the rule of war, then they are subject to the conventions.....

this clown has traveled so much I don't he knows where he has been.

Disarm? Really? Whre did you hear or see or read that?

You are so right, the left voted for this whitehouse its too bad us smarter people
have to suffer from this left wing radical president and his actions.

I think the government convinced the Indians to give up their guns because the government would protect them a number of years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good post BobintheKeys! You are absolutely right!

But only after they kicked Custer's butt at the Little Big Horn using repeating rifles and arrows, while Custer's men were using single shot breech loading rifles. Wait, isn't that what Feinstein is trying to reduce us to with her gun control legislation?

Classic sign of a dictator, disarm the people and then take away their rights, liberties, freedom, life....(and yes, I know he's not talking about disarming, just strickter gun laws...but bet disarming is next)

To think that after all the mass shootings, I actually believed that Obama was taking the right steps to reduce the shootings of innocent lives....then.I.read.this.

Our forefathers knew what they were doing with the second amendment. Let us not question it! As it was said earlier, I don't think we want to be defending ourselves from Obama's army with rocks and sticks.

Finally, to all of you who are posting in favor of this move by Obama, let me ask you one thing. When you are targeted for being aligned with terrorists when you KNOW that's ridiculous, what are you going to think of this executive action then? There's no jury, judge to make sure justice happens...just Obama who's deciding your fate. He may just not like your voting record and deem you part of a terrorist network.

Wake up people....glad I did. The question I have now is what now? Do we wait it out to see if the house/senate blast this action apart? If they don't, what are our options? We can't just standby and watch this happen.

So that is all you got voyager? ...lol.lame at best..you must be the head sheep...baaaaaaha

Ummmmm...and our "commander in chief" has had these experiences? LMAO He didn't "serve" America either..he has NO CLUE what the heat of battle is like. Keep trying Voyager, you just keep looking stupider and stupider

All the feigned outrage from the right that a hand full of ragheads that return to fight jihad and happen to hold American citizenship might be targeted. If you're a lawful combatant of the United States of America we can target you. Cry for the thousands of Americans and innocents killed fighting Bush's wars not these hateful people.

The last Democrat President to be a former member of the Military was Carter. Look how badly he screwed up the attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran. Dead soldiers and airman in the middle of the desert caused by poor planning.

I could have sworn you were describing pres Obangme in your post above ( #9 ).

We don't defend people based on who they are, but what they do.

So by way of filibuster, the tea party members should be executed for holding up "progress"? Is that what you are saying?

that abuse was the unathorized use of US drones to unseat Quadafi. it has already happened.

Im fine with goin after ppl who could attack the US and ts interests, but you cant deny that those up in arms about Iraq and Gitmo would be complete hypocrits for being ok with this.

That's just it "Mic..."...he removed the "oversight and accountability"....good grief.

Yeah...I mean this administration has such a good track record on oversight and accountability.......To arm this idiot with drones to use as he sees fit is like giving matches and a stick of dynamite to a 6 year old...it makes NO common sense........



I think you misunderstand the impact of the terms and wording here... this is a door widening... as it was with the patriot act…or tax hikes… or any other policy as of late, the goal is to see how far they can push the limits. This is basically giving the executive branch the ability to kill American citizens without a trial or hard evidence (just using their "best judgment"). The langue used does not set clear limits. Define Terrorist. What if they decide at some point you are the threat? You may not even have the chance to prove your not in court; someone could just use their "best judgment". It is okay as long as it is "over there" right? It would never be used "over here", right? We have checks and balances for a reason and this is unconstitutional just like disarming the public is.
"When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled 'made in Germany'; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, 'Americanism'"

Thats what happens when a fukin retard is in the White House.

First, I think and urge that discourse be polite and civilzed befitting us Americans. Second, I hope that the legislators we elect and the rights organizations which we finance and support will stand fast in defending our constitution and the rights it guaranteed for all Americans.

Mic - You do realize that Obama has repeatedly circumvented legislative checks and balances to try and get what he feels is the "right" thing to do. Luckily the courts have reversed him on some of the occasions. He's got four years to really screw up our way of life and this memo is just the tip of the iceberg, I fear. Who knows how many other such memos are out there waiting to be uncovered.

@Mic,

What happens if your name or that of a family member ends up on that list by mistake? What are the actual qualifications that put a person on that list? I read the three in the article, but who truly determines how big a threat a person is, how imminent the threat is, and how hard do they actually search for their suspect? I am sorry, but you can't undo someone blown to pieces. There is no do over for a mistake.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin

By democrat(obama) standards anybody that is a military veteran, owns a gun and belongs to the NRA is a possible terrorist.

Jim-769408, um what cliche would you prefer? Push-button WAR? Targeted killings that will DEFINITELY only happen "over there..." ?

Anyone who dares to disagree with the Dear Leader, his Organize for America/SEIU/AFL-CIO Brownshirt thugs will start Busting Heads, Busting Windows, Burning Books for the Supreme Chancellor. 1933 Germany, anyone? Kristallnacht cannot be that far away.

How long will it take before T.E.A. Party enthusiasts and our courageous returning war veterans will be deemed "Enemy Combatants" ? Oops, it has ALREADY HAPPENED under the DHS memo that defines them as such. The means (drones, etc.) are merely a different tool of intimidation used by BHO against the very people he has sworn an oath to protect. Constitution--WHAT CONSTITUTION???

"If you're not terrified, it is because you don't know enough yet..."

Hey, this is the government (note I did *NOT* say administration) that says waterboarding isn't torture, it's okay for New York to implement Stop and Frisk, and gay marriage and pot laws are up to the states, rather than federally setting a ruling on the constitutionality.

I mean, you gotta break a few eggs if you want an omelet.

Funny thing is, the "War on Terror" will never end. Terror is an idea, not an enemy -- an idea lacks the ability to surrender.

RE: PAUL-1198818 >>Unless you plan to go overseas and plot to kill my family and friends back here in the States like al-Awlaki in Yemen, you will not have a problem. You are one of those who screamed so loud about Benghazi and what we did not do to stop, but yet when this president orders the killing of people who have instructed airplane bombings, Time Square Bombins and who ordered the deaths of thirteen US Servicemen if Ft Hood, you become a punk. I tell you what Mr. Civil Liberties man, tell your friends you are all in favor of Americans going overseas making plans to come back here an blowup subways, skyscrapers and the like, or to train or pay others to do it. AND YOU DO NOT WANT THIS PRESIDENT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM...Ask your friends what they think about your attitudes with their wellbeing?

"Some" things are more acceptable to people on this and most boards if the policy comes from a white Republican and is described as "security" for Americans ................that said.............I don't agree with either this policy or the idea that waterboarding was not a crime.................those who approved WF should have been punished with severe jail sentences.................Cheney deserves time in HELL and prison is too good for his ilk..............as he now sits and smirks about his accomplishments

Yes, but there has to be some checks and balances on the due process. One person can't just say so.

Read the memo closer, it does not limit itself to geographical location. And there does not even have to be any proof, just suspicion. And who is the one deciding who is suspicious? On what grounds? This is very chilling. We already have the ability to take out an American terrorist on a "battlefield" this takes the powers of the Executive Branch to a whole new level that has never been seen before with no oversite whatsoever.

You're right Cheryl. There is NO defense of what he is doing here. How can you people still defend this?? Aren't you the ones that screamed because GW was "torturing" terrorists?? Aren't you the ones that screamed about the "unlawful detainment of prisoners at gitmo?? But hey.....the dictator is blowing people up, but NO BIG DEAL. Hypocrisy at it's finest!!!!!!!!

Hello ozmosis 1.33 - Your last three questions in your post should make everyone just as curious. They aren't even hiding their actions anymore. No need for covert activity, the sheeple will comply and why, because they are sheeple. What's next the "Hunger Games".

First they should declare them terrorists and strip them from US citizenship in an US court, then kill them all, in this way they are legally killed and everybody is happy.

@trustverify,

Those will come after the powers that be decide to collapse our economy. Then we will be talking about real Hunger Games.

Actually, he is going to do neither of those things.

How exactly is Obama going to take your gun away? There is talk of banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, but you can still have your weapon.

Did you not read this story?

A firecracker can blow up an orange. Hey, the earth is shaped like an orange. OH MY GOD! A firecracker can blow up the earth!

Ok, so let me rephrase, Obama is going to take away my fire power and then hunt me down and kill me.

Read the 8 page document and make your call! We are headed to the bad side! Hold on to your 2nd Amendment rights , guns, and ammo.

Bgun, I don't like this either, but it has nothing to do with you unless yuo are attending high level Al Qaeda meetings.

Only if you are a member of a terrorist organization dedicated to killing Americans. Are you?

Even if he didn't take away your guns, your "Fire Power" wouldn't even save you if they actually wanted you dead lol. Your Fire Power < Drones

Well, he either wants us to give up our guns or he wants us to register them so they have an address to send the drones to. Unbelievable, I think a revolution is closer than we think. All you liberals that don't believe it will be the first ones to parish, probably at the hands of the very people you'll be begging to protect you that refused to give up their weapons!

Listen to them all defending this action!!!!!!!! Holy mackerel!!! These are the people who screamed about GW torturing, Screamed about prisoners being held in gitmo with no trial, screamed about injustices and killing overseas.....but now it's 'their guy' that just wants to blow up people when HE deems necessary and it's ALL OK.....I mean really?? You can't have it both ways idiots!! New gun laws be dam(n)ed....let us purchase heat seeking missiles. How hypocritic can you people be??

No Bgun, you can have your pistols and hunting rifles. But we want your AR-15 please, thank you. And finally no Bgun, no one is going to hunt you down.... unless you prove yourself to be an enemy of the state. But I assume you're smarter than that.

"Bgun, I don't like this either, but it has nothing to do with you unless yuo are attending high level Al Qaeda meetings."

Yeah...and the Empty Suit was going to focus on jobs like a laser beam........I don't trust my government in it's present hands........

Where is the jury of your peers to determine guilt. It looks like all you need to be guilty is for Obama to put on his kill list.

How exactly is Obama going to take your gun away? There is talk of banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, but you can still have your weapon.

Because that is how it starts. Remember the smoking ban? First it started in offices, then subways, then restaurants, then bars, now public streets. That was "for the good of the public" too.

The very idea that our government is performing executions based on a mere supposition is extremely disturbing.

The other thing I find disturbing is the lack of public dissent if these comments are any indication. At the time of this post about 125 comments in contrast with 3000-4000 about gun control after the unfortunate Newtown, CT shootings. Our government is assassinating people without due process or oversight, we should all be very concerned about that and demand that it stop.

wb52 (#16.14): He tried to, but you choose to forget that. The Repukes were determined to make him a one-term president, thus vetoing EVERYTHING and ANYTHING he tried to do to help create jobs, so SU.

Also, stick to the subject, or did you forget what it was already??????????

Here is the real story. It is a sad day in America when the majority of the citizens care more about freestuff than freedom.

Jock...the "this has nothing to do with me" mentality is becoming more and more dangerous..at this rate something that does effect you will be in jeopardy soon enough.

I like the idea of protecting Americans. In fact, that is what the Federal Government is supposed to do. However, I do not think any person or group should have the ability to act as judge, jury, and executioner. That is precisely what is happening here. As it was stated before, who is deciding if that person is an imminent threat? Where did the info come from? And, according to the document, there doesn't have to be all that much proof. So, while some feel safer that the POTUS has the ability to do this, what prevents him from using it for other purposes. I.E. "Hey, I think he could be dangerous and I have a feeling that he is part of a terrorist group. Let's get'em." I realize this is an exaggeration, but every citizen has the right to Due Process. Without it, we have small groups making assumptions and ending lives because of it. At what point are we giving the federal government too much power?

Huh?, I think we are already there with the federal government having too much power and Obama is doing everything he can to grab more with abuse of Executive Orders, unapproved appointees and the list goes on...

Bgun, I completely agree with you. I'm hoping this most recent info leak brings other things into light. I doubt it, but one can hope.

How high do drones fly? Can I have a weapon that shoots that high? I jest, by that is what is so insidious. We can not hope to defend. I would take my chances against a squad of America's finest - not that I could beat them - but that as Americans I don't think they'd kill Americans in general - even if ordered to do so.

But a nameless faceless ariel death machine? Assassination as a video game.

No thanks

mtnbikerZom - so if they outright ban the so-called "assault weapons", and people refuse to turn them in, if required to by legislation, do the owners become enemies of the state? Since the ATF has access to gun sales records, do they target the owner's house with a drone? Do they attack the home with a drone, despite innocent children being in the home at the time? You see this sounds a lot like the actions we've seen in Afganistan doesn't it?

My God,,, some of you people are scared to death.

The moment you so called Civil Libertarians hear about some American overseas responsible for killing Americans in this country you will be griping that President Obama did not do enough to get him. Yes you would, because many of you have been griping about Benghazi for the past three months. So now you want a guy like al Awlaki the American who was killed in Yemen in 2011 not to be dead? This is the same guy responsible for the deaths of 13 US Soldiers in Ft Hood, and training other guys like the Shoe Bomber to blow up passenger airplanes and subways. And you folks are knocking President Obama for taking him out, have you discussed this with your mothers?

Patrik-952, RIGHT ON. This is outrageous Hypocrisy at very least, Marxist Counterpropaganda to BURY THE TRUTH on the other end of the spectrum of nefarious BIG LIES.