I have a question about the uproar over the targeting

[Are_grits_groceries]

of an American citizen for assassination. Why is it okay to target anyone like this no matter what citizenship they hold?

[The Straight Story]

1. Obama is from Kenya, and that is just how they roll over there

Should have gotten us an American for president.... :rofl:

[Lost4words]

2. And to announce it publicly?! Like the CIA pledging revenge

for that thing a few months ago, by the suicide bomber they were trying to recruit!

Its disgusting and disturbingly un-american, but I guess its OK for das homeland! Got goose step?

[Echo In Light]

4. If it were Bushco the Defenders wouldn't treat it so lightly

[tekisui]

9. And when the next repug presidents expands this power,

we will all suffer the consequences of further erosion of rights in our country.

This is how the terrorists win, we change our values to be more like them.

[MUAD_DIB]

11. Is Al Quaida at war with the USA?

How would you stop that? Would you surrender to their demands?

[tekisui]

13. I consider them a criminal organization.

When you use the word war, we get bombs, assassinations, wars and erosion of liberties.

Criminal acts get arrests, intelligence and investigations.

BTW, each time we give up more of our liberties, we are surrendering to the terrorists. It was true under bush, it is true now.

[MUAD_DIB]

18. They're at war with the USA. What do you want: a formal declaratin from them?

BTW: This will not the first time in US history where there has been an okay for a possible targeted killing.

There is no negotiating with terrorists.

[tekisui]

34. First time for a US citizen to be targeted.

I am not afraid of AQ. You sound a like bush league fear monger.

[Statistical]

35. I am not afraid of AQ either but I also won't shed a tear if one of them ends up with lead poisoning

[MattBaggins]

40. You really are a drama queen

No one is calling for any such thing.

LEGAL... CONSTITUTION... RULE OF LAW

This cleric should be taken down. Now do it lawfully.

[Toots]

16. Is every drug dealer at war with the USA

Remember we are also at war with drugs... Every known drug dealer should be targeted for assassination as well...don't you think?

[MUAD_DIB]

20. Well, if that wasn't a piss-poor comparison to Al quaida....

Do you usually go for a weak question?

[Echo In Light]

28. In my estimation the only "terrorists" we have to fear are US reps/officials, period

But, yes, put another way, I definitely agree w/where you're going w/that

[ixion]

3. It's not.

but that never stops the US government from exercising their will to kill.

[babylonsister]

5. Maybe because he's a really bad guy who targets us? Should

he be coddled?

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. I am also trying to point out

the flash fire because he is American. The uproar would be muted if he wasn't.

[MUAD_DIB]

12. I find it ironic that the same DUers wouldn't give two hoots if these guys were

Hutarees or other crazy militia types: intent on doing harm to the USA.

[Are_grits_groceries]

15. I would have a problem

with an assassination order. If we applied the "danger to the US" standard, a lot of people including some Congressmen and Senators would be gone.

[MUAD_DIB]

17. You do understand that this is an undeclared war, right?

You do understand that Al Quaida is a terrorist organization technically at war with the United States and the west in general, right?

Drawing the line from that to a comparison of Congressmen and Senators being targeted makes me want to ask if you have one of these. :tinfoilhat:

You can draw any comparison you like, but don't expect to be taken seriously.

[Are_grits_groceries]

19. *sigh*

The rhetoric I hear from some people today borders on an undeclared war by them. Some are very close to the line and probably over it. I also hear some elected officials egging them on. What else they do, I have no idea.

I will wear the :tinfoilhat: proudly. I have worn it before and been proven right. I wasn't taken seriously before so that is nothing new.

[MUAD_DIB]

21. I am beginning to find your

wearing the :tinfoilhat: with pride rather silly.

I'm a realist. I really don't believe that I can say the same for you.

[Are_grits_groceries]

22. I am a cynic and a skeptic. nt

[MUAD_DIB]

31. It's too bad you your cynicism and skepticism seemingly stops where

Al Quaida begins.

[Berry Cool]

23. "Should he be coddled?" For Pete's sake, do you know how to win an argument

some other way than by setting up a false dilemma in which you want him killed and your opponents want him "coddled"? Sheesh! You sound like Tom DeLay saying that on 9/11 Republicans prepared for war and Dems prepared for understanding and therapy for our enemies!

Since when did this board become Republican Underground? Or "It's OK to Violate the Constitution So Long As Dems Do It Underground"?

[frylock]

27. yes, he should be coddled..

he should be given a vacation home in the hamptons and membership to the toniest country club in the nation, because the only available choices are murdering this guy or coddling him, right?

[Forkboy]

30. I honestly don't think the people defending this see how much they echo Bush.

I saw the same phenomena under Clinton. People who would have been fiercely against something under Bush Sr. suddenly didn't care so much when it had a "D" in front of it. Your guess is as good as mine as to what these people truly believe, because it changes depending on who has power.

[frylock]

37. i find it amusing that they're using KNOWN right-wing BS strawmen arguments..

the dems want to coddle the terrorists and offer him therapy. fuck me! some people need to take a step back and behold the transforamtion they've made since obama was elected. you could prolly do a search through the archives and counter their lame-ass arguments with their own damn posts!

[Forkboy]

29. This never would have been your argument if Bush had done this.

What saddens me is that deep down I think you know I'm right. I miss the old babylonsister. :(

[EOTE]

32. Should all really bad guys be assassinated?

Honest question. And do you think assassinations are good policy no matter who they're aimed at?

[NoPasaran]

7. It turns out the announcement was garbled

It turns out the announcement was garbled by the same mysterious force that routinely mistranslates Hugo Chavez's pronouncements. Instead of "targeted for assassination" it should read "given a gift subscription to The New Yorker.

[tekisui]

8. THat is my position. I abhor these drone strikes.

over a third of those killed are civilians. We are told these targets are threats to American interests. A lot because they are fighting the US who came to their neighborhood.

The strikes are counter-productive. They can go on without end, and they do not make us safer. They create more hatred towards us.

How many civilians will it be okay to kill chasing one man around the globe?

[MUAD_DIB]

14. That is the best response ever to this question.

If you are concerned about others getting in the way of an US targeted killing then I give you a high grade.

If this guy is indeed Al Quaida, intent on hurting the US or its citizens...regardless of himself being an American, then he should be brought to justice: one way or another.

[onenote]

10. maybe for the same reason that John Dillinger's name and face were put on wanted posters?

poor JD -- targeted by the government simply because he was suspected of doing some really bad things.

[Berry Cool]

24. Targeted by the government to be ARRESTED and brought to trial.

Not just shot and killed on sight!

You honestly see no difference? *sigh*

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

33. Couldn't disagree more (but I am on your side for the broader argument)

The FBI assassinated people on the most wanted list as a matter of routine, probably including Dillinger. That is to say, there was little effort expended in taking them alive and arrests were planned/conceived as non-survivable events.

The FBI was famous for it, but most police forces were much the same. An arrest scenario was a situation where the accused had to do everything right and get a little lucky to survive... for instance, getting your hands clear and in the air in front of witnesses before your hand movements could be plausibly read as going for a gun.

And in some cases they were flat out murdered. God knows Ma Barker and several people in her home were assassinated with no good faith attempt to capture them.

FBI ruthlessness created a self-fulfilling prophecy... when it was known that the FBI was probably going to whack you no matter what it became more standard to go for your gun... and so on.

But that was a different world and not something to emulate today.

As Bush said, there was a saying in the old west "wanted dead or alive."

True. But that was the old west. There was also a saying, "The only good indian is a dead indian."

[EFerrari]

25. Decided by the same agencies that said the Ft. Hood shooter was no threat. n/t

[MyNameGoesHere]

26. He was a convicted escapee on the run

from the law. Comparison=fail

[Stinky The Clown]

36. Its a very Mafia sort of thing to do. Very swaggery and macho and shit.

Apart from that, it fucking STINKS.

[EFerrari]

38. UN Rapporteur pointed out that as CIA have no status as combatants,

they can be arrested for murder.

But, that would be a first.

[Rex]

39. It's not okay, it will lead to horrible consequences down the road.

What we set as the standard, many other countries copy. It is illegal by international law to assassinate people and eveyone knows that it is an act of terror, which it is designed to be such a tool. I DON'T endorse this idea and frankly think it will come back to bite us in the ass in the long run.

Now that we said we do publicly assassinate people, even American citizens - what is next? Private corporate armies? Oh, nm.