Kucinich: Osama Should Not Be Assassinated

[patrioticintellect]

Source: Slate

Rose: Congressman Kucinich, welcome to "mashup," this online debate. Let me begin by talking about Iraq. We'll have three minutes for that. And three minutes health-care education. And three minutes for a wild card. I begin with Iraq. Gen. Petraeus has made his statement to Congress, answered questions. The president will apparently support him. Is anything the Congress can do and will do to change that strategy?

Kucinich: Well, are we forgetting something here? I mean, do we still have civilian leadership in the United States or have we torn that page out of our Constitution as well? The founders made it very clear that Congress under Article 1, Section 8 has the power of war. And Congress also has the power of the purse. Congress must tell the president now, "The war is over. Bring the troops home. Bring the equipment home. Force those mercenaries to come home. Get Halliburton out of there." I mean, Congress has the power, and they can take action now. We cannot to fund this war.

Rose: Why hasn't Congress done it so far? Why hasn't Congress done it so far?

Kucinich: Good question. It hasn't been—listen, Congress is afraid to take on this president. We engage in all of these phony debates about the war. The essential question of the war—does it continue to be funded? I pointed this out over and over. It does not take another vote, Charlie. It simply is for the leadership of the House to tell the president, "We're not going to give you any money. Start bringing those troops home now." And after all, isn't that what they told the American people they would do when the Democrats were elected in 2006?

Read more: http://www.slate.com/id/2173840/

---

"Well, first of all, the plan that I have is going to lessen the conflict, because, J.D., you must realize that it is our occupation of Iraq that has fueled the insurgency. There is over a million innocent Iraqis who have died during the course of this war. We have an obligation to get out of Iraq. But we have to have it stabilized at the same time. Now, how do you do that? You go to Iran and Syria, which the Baker-Hamilton report recommended, and get their help in putting together an international peace-keeping and security force. Now, I have the plan, it's HR 1234, to stabilize Iraq, but it begins with the United States getting out. We must bring our troops home, J.D."

America, you want a way out? Line up behind this man! Contribute and publicly finance a new America

[AZBlue]

1. Thanks for the informative post!

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. These statements from Kucinich are just part of why I

support him...

Thank you for posting!

I already have supported him financially...

And I plan to vote for him in the primary...

K&R

[Kelly Rupert]

3. Your text body does not contain the strings

"Osama," "bin Laden," "should," or "Assassinate." Could you add the quote that's relevant to the headline please?

Thanks :hi:

[AndyTiedye]

6. That Was the Title of the Original Article

The article gets into that on page 3.

He is calling for legal processes instead of assassination. Sounds pretty good to me.

[frogcycle]

8. its at the end of the 3-page interview

and not at all the substance of the interview. Headline writer being sensational. OP just copied the headline

follow the link

[lonestarnot]

4. Dennis!

YES! :applause:

[CreekDog]

5. Yes, this is something to get excited about of all things

Not assassinating Bin Laden.

On my list of priorities, not assassinating Bin Laden is somewhere between universal health care and ending the war in Iraq.

Or not.

That knucklehead is not getting elected president.

[brentspeak]

7. This doesn't belong in LBN.

Please review the LBN posting rules:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x87249

[patrioticintellect]

19. Upon reviewing

I have deduced and realized I forgot this was an INTERVIEW, which made this an OP-ED.

It was found under Google News and recently posted so I thought it to be BREAKING NEWS.

For people whose lives were made difficult, I apologize.

We are dealing with massive destruction and billions of deaths here. I will get it right from now on.

And I mean that. This isn't some condescending BS.

[slipslidingaway]

9. A cool headed approach, justice instead of revenge...

Thanks for posting the whole interiew is excellent.

"Bill Maher: Congressman Kucinich, you said on my show you would not give the order to assassinate Osama Bin Laden. How can you expect even liberals such as myself to support you when you don't even want the head of the man who, in the name of writing Muslim persecution, murdered 3,000 fellow citizens whose immediate complicity in the plight of Muslims is nonexistent?

Kucinich: Well, Bill, it's nice to see you on Charlie Rose's show. And I know that you'll both help each other's ratings. I want to say that our Constitution has been trashed by this administration. Former President Gerald Ford understood there are dangers when you use assassination as a tool. Assassination is really what's called an extrajudicial killing. Look at the entire way this administration has changed our Constitution and what America's values are. Extrajudicial killings are now licensed. Abu Ghraib, tortures—licensed. Guantanamo—people are not permitted to have a right to a trial. Habeas corpus has been trashed. You're looking at the one person who really understands what this document, the Constitution of the United States, is all about. I want equal justice. I want Osama Bin Laden brought to justice. Now, if he resists in an attempt to arrest him, you know, whatever happens happens. But I think that we as a country need to reinstate this Constitution. This is the basis of our strength, and so I'm going to proceed to—for the whole world to understand the full power of the U.S. Constitution and what our system of justice is really about.

Thank you, Bill, for your question.

Rose: Let me follow up on my friend Bill Maher's question. If in fact Osama Bin Laden is taken out by some kind of airstrike, would you be pleased?

Kucinich: Again, I think that my position is that, you know, we've already tried that, Charlie. That we've had airstrikes all along the Pakistani border. We've killed a lot of innocent villagers in this search for Osama Bin Laden. Where does it end? Do you nuke a country in order to get one person? I'm saying that we have to follow international law. We cannot get into a kind of international vigilantism. We have to unite this country in the sense of upholding the law. We must join the international criminal court because our officials must equally be accountable to the law. President Gerald Ford understood that you start licensing assassination in any way, shape, or form, that it endangers our own country and our own leaders. So I'm saying that we have to be very concerned about the consequences of our action. That—stop the deaths of innocents, because that's what's been going on..."

[Mind_your_head]

10. Go Dennis!!!!!

I don't know 'why'....but Dennis' comment about funding the war reminds me of a conversation that I had with my freshman 'college-kid' a year or two ago....college-kid was 'feeling his/her oats' and now that they were 18 didn't have to tell/show me ANYTHING....they were 18 now ya, know!!!! 'Independent/free/an ADULT'....college-kid didn't have to tell/share/ask permission for ANYTHING of me anymore (ever) if they didn't want to.....

I asked to see college-kid's grades. College-kid says "No - I don't have to show you if I don't want to." I said, "yeah, that's true, but it's REAL SIMPLE ..... if you want any more money or support from me, I'm not gonna 'raise my voice, or give you any hard time, or give it any discussion...show me your grades or you're on your own.

Simple.

(I saw the very good grades, btw....no one 'lost face'. It was just a matter of understanding/putting people in their 'rightful place' as to how they contribute to their own success or failures.)

Congress DESPERATELY needs to claim their 'rightful place'....the sooner the better!!!

Go Dennis!

[The Wielding Truth]

11. Doesn't Kucinich make the rest of the candidates look like

inexperienced followers?

[Mind_your_head]

13. Yep.......inexperienced followers, for true! eom

[provis99]

12. rather an odd statement

If we still had the old assassination policy and bin Laden had been assassinated in the Afghan War before we went into Iraq, we would have avoided the whole Iraq war justification, and thus the war. Sorta like if we had assassinated Hitler, we could have avoided World War 2. But I guess Dennis doesn't see it that way. He's stated often in the past that America does have the right to defend itself, but he never defined how. I assume, since he is opposed to war and assassinations, that if we were hypothetically invaded, we would sue them in international court. Sorry don't mean to sound like an assassination nut, but while I support Seabiscuit's position in everything else he's mentioned so far, his ideas on the realities of foreign relations and war strike me as rather New Ageish and "Up With People" in its naivety.

[slipslidingaway]

14. Not an odd statement...

He is not against defending our nation at all and will use military force when needed. He is against aggressive wars that will cause our nation harm in the future, diminish our ability to work with other nations, drain money from the budget needed for other priorities and kill people unnecessarily.

Justice not revenge...makes perfect sense to me. Do you think the Iraqi's now have the right to carry out terrorist attacks in our country for the pain we have inflicted on them, maybe they want revenge as well. I think his message is more for international consumption than domestic consumption.


"Kucinich: Well, Bill, it's nice to see you on Charlie Rose's show. And I know that you'll both help each other's ratings. I want to say that our Constitution has been trashed by this administration. Former President Gerald Ford understood there are dangers when you use assassination as a tool. Assassination is really what's called an extrajudicial killing. Look at the entire way this administration has changed our Constitution and what America's values are. Extrajudicial killings are now licensed. Abu Ghraib, tortures—licensed. Guantanamo—people are not permitted to have a right to a trial. Habeas corpus has been trashed. You're looking at the one person who really understands what this document, the Constitution of the United States, is all about. I want equal justice. I want Osama Bin Laden brought to justice. Now, if he resists in an attempt to arrest him, you know, whatever happens happens. But I think that we as a country need to reinstate this Constitution. This is the basis of our strength, and so I'm going to proceed to—for the whole world to understand the full power of the U.S. Constitution and what our system of justice is really about.

Thank you, Bill, for your question.

Rose: Let me follow up on my friend Bill Maher's question. If in fact Osama Bin Laden is taken out by some kind of airstrike, would you be pleased?

Kucinich: Again, I think that my position is that, you know, we've already tried that, Charlie. That we've had airstrikes all along the Pakistani border. We've killed a lot of innocent villagers in this search for Osama Bin Laden. Where does it end? Do you nuke a country in order to get one person? I'm saying that we have to follow international law. We cannot get into a kind of international vigilantism. We have to unite this country in the sense of upholding the law. We must join the international criminal court because our officials must equally be accountable to the law. President Gerald Ford understood that you start licensing assassination in any way, shape, or form, that it endangers our own country and our own leaders. So I'm saying that we have to be very concerned about the consequences of our action. That—stop the deaths of innocents, because that's what's been going on..."

[EFerrari]

16. Not really. We went into Iraq because Bush lied about Saddam.

He would have lied whether bin Laden was captured or not.

If the rule of law seems "new ageish" to us, we're in trouble!

[patrioticintellect]

18. What?

Are you making this sweeping inference or generalization with some basis? Like, for instance, Bush was friends with a lot of neocons. That blindsided Americans because they didn't expect the foreign policy we got but had they been educated they would have seen it coming from the 90s. Likewise, does Kucinich come from a "New ageish" mentality? Do you have policy to support this? And do we really have a good reason to fear his "new ageish"?

I appreciate off-the-cuff remarks that are made to get attention and advance discussion. But you have to know what you are talking about. You can't just spout blather like this is the Fox & Friends morning show.

[EFerrari]

22. Were you replying to me?

:)

[patrioticintellect]

24. Yes

[EFerrari]

26. Then I take it you were being ironic or perhaps misread my

defense of Dennis and the rule of law.

[patrioticintellect]

27. Wow...I did. I did really badly.

I don't even know what started me going off on you. Because when I read your comment, I see how wrong I was. I apologize.

Umm, Strength Through Peace?

[EFerrari]

28. Lol! We've all done it.

(And Go, Dennis!)

[mudesi]

23. Put yourself in their shoes, now

Would you support other nations' "right" to assassinate people? How about if Iran decided to drop a few missiles onto George W. Bush? (Granted that might be a bad example!)

Why does America think it has any right whatsoever to indiscriminately murder anyone it wants?

[cyclezealot]

15. of course . he should be arrested

and tried like any other criminal. Besides don't we have questions from him, we'd like answered. To assassinate him would only make him a hero to Islamic nationalists- Like the US did to the legacy of Che .

[Vidar]

17. K&R.

[LWolf]

20. About Osama:

This is a GREAT interview. On many topics. I couldn't figure out why the title of the article is about Osama, though, until I found the last question and response. For the record, I fully support his stance. Here it is; the bolding is mine:

<snip>

Bill Maher: Congressman Kucinich, you said on my show you would not give the order to assassinate Osama Bin Laden. How can you expect even liberals such as myself to support you when you don't even want the head of the man who, in the name of writing Muslim persecution, murdered 3,000 fellow citizens whose immediate complicity in the plight of Muslims is nonexistent?

Kucinich: Well, Bill, it's nice to see you on Charlie Rose's show. And I know that you'll both help each other's ratings. I want to say that our Constitution has been trashed by this administration. Former President Gerald Ford understood there are dangers when you use assassination as a tool. Assassination is really what's called an extrajudicial killing. Look at the entire way this administration has changed our Constitution and what America's values are. Extrajudicial killings are now licensed. Abu Ghraib, tortures—licensed. Guantanamo—people are not permitted to have a right to a trial. Habeas corpus has been trashed. You're looking at the one person who really understands what this document, the Constitution of the United States, is all about. I want equal justice. I want Osama Bin Laden brought to justice. Now, if he resists in an attempt to arrest him, you know, whatever happens happens. But I think that we as a country need to reinstate this Constitution. This is the basis of our strength, and so I'm going to proceed to—for the whole world to understand the full power of the U.S. Constitution and what our system of justice is really about.

Thank you, Bill, for your question.

Rose: Let me follow up on my friend Bill Maher's question. If in fact Osama Bin Laden is taken out by some kind of airstrike, would you be pleased?

Kucinich: Again, I think that my position is that, you know, we've already tried that, Charlie. That we've had airstrikes all along the Pakistani border. We've killed a lot of innocent villagers in this search for Osama Bin Laden. Where does it end? Do you nuke a country in order to get one person? I'm saying that we have to follow international law. We cannot get into a kind of international vigilantism. We have to unite this country in the sense of upholding the law. We must join the international criminal court because our officials must equally be accountable to the law. President Gerald Ford understood that you start licensing assassination in any way, shape, or form, that it endangers our own country and our own leaders. So I'm saying that we have to be very concerned about the consequences of our action. That—stop the deaths of innocents, because that's what's been going on. The question about Osama Bin Laden, Al Sharpton said it a few years ago. Osama been gone. He's putting out more videos than a lot of people get on MTV. And so, despite that, we don't know where he is. The fact of the matter is, we've got to change our international policies, and that's what my doctrine of strength through peace represents. No more unilateralism first-strike pre-emption. That's the neo-cons that took us into the war based on lies. I was the one person of all these people running for president who not only spoke out against the war, but voted against the war, voted 100 percent of the time against funding the war. As a plan to end the war, I've met with leaders in Syria and Lebanon to talk about organizing the region to stabilize Iraq. We really have to take a new direction. And this goes way beyond Osama Bin Laden.

[KoKo]

21. K&R.....good interview to read....thanks.

[rinsd]

25. Shouldn't this be in GD-P?

[EFerrari]

30. I'm unclear on the concept. I thought posts specific to races

or campaigns went there. Is that close to right? :shrug:

[Usrename]

29. The first candidate to tell the truth should win.

That would be Dennis.

[Lilith Velkor]

31. Koochy's got some big brass ones

:headbang: