Jeremy Scahill: Kucinich Makes a Serious Push to Ban Govt. Assassinations of US Citizens

[G_j]

http://www.alternet.org/rights/147813/dennis_kucinich_makes_a_serious_push_to_ban_govt._assassinations_of_us_citizens_/

The Nation / By Jeremy Scahill

Dennis Kucinich Makes a Serious Push to Ban Govt. Assassinations of US Citizens

With Obama's extrajudicial killing policy, the government is the investigator, policeman, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner all in one.

August 12, 2010

Lawyers for US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, who has reportedly been targeted for assassination by the CIA and Joint Special Operations Command, had to fight the US government to have the right to represent him. On Wednesday, following a lawsuit by the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights, the Treasury Department issued a license to the pro-bono lawyers. Now the battle for due process begins. In a statement, al-Awlaki's new lawyers said the license would "allow us to pursue our litigation relating to the government’s asserted authority to engage in targeted killings of American civilians without due process."

Al-Awlaki is originally from New Mexico and now lives in Yemen. He has been accused of providing inspiration for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged "underwear bomber," and Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter.

Most lawmakers have been mute about the Obama administration's policy to target a US citizen for assassination. Representative Jane Harman, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee, said recently that Awlaki is "probably the person, the terrorist, who would be terrorist No. 1 in terms of threat against us." One of the few who has spoken against the policy is Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich. "The assassination policies vitiate the presumption of innocence and the government then becomes the investigator, policeman, prosecutor, judge, jury, executioner all in one," Kucinich told me in April. "That raises the greatest questions with respect to our constitution and our democratic way of life." He called the policy "extrajudicial."

Kucinich is putting his money where his mouth is. He just announced he has introduced legislation to "prohibit the extrajudicial killing of United States citizens." The bill states that "No one, including the President, may instruct a person acting within the scope of employment with the United States Government or an agent acting on behalf of the United States Government to engage in, or conspire to engage in, the extrajudicial killing of a United States citizen." It adds: "the authority granted to the President in the Authorization for Use of Military Force…following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, is not limitless."

..more..

[kenny blankenship]

1. Which just raises more executive branch issues:

can an active member of the House of Representatives be forced by Federal law enforcement agents (Exec branch officers) to give a urine or hair sample for drug screening?

[harun]

2. No. Especially if they are actually in the House of Representatives then they are

untouchable, for obvious reasons. If they weren't the Pres. could have arrested those who were going to vote the way he/she didn't like, take the vote, and voila, passage.

[kenny blankenship]

7. So it has seemed for many years, but a little noticed theory advanced by John Loo

holds that in wartime the powers divided among the three branches stream together under the President as Commander In Chief, including the authority to compel toxicology samples from officers of the two other branches. This crossing of the streams is known sometimes as the Urinary Executive theory. Additionally, the Supreme Court's leading piss expert, Antonin Scalia, opined in a 2004 case that "...in wartime the laws are silent, looking neither left nor right, but standing close to the porcelain and staring straight ahead or somewhat up the wall - no talking. Two shakes and leave."

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Thank you - I've never heard it explained so well. nt

[G_j]

16. he didn't say that

did he?

:wow:

[fogonthelake]

3. Thank you Professional Leftist.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Who can believe they are reading this title of an article in the US under a Dem President

or any President for that matter?

But the adminstration and the media can continue to make fun of Dennis Kucinich and people here on this blog can continue to excuse the horrific violations of law and justice that are continuing to take place here and now.

[G_j]

15. I think we're at the cusp of 2 & 3

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” (Gandhi)

[LWolf]

5. k&r

[Ignis]

6. K&R

But cue the cries of "UFO UFO UFO" any second now....

[me b zola]

8. K&R

[mmonk]

9. Wish we could get the AUMF repealed as well.

Both are dangerous in a country with a "unitary executive".

[EFerrari]

10. Predictable cry baby.

:sarcasm:

[G_j]

11. just plain guano crazy!

doing what's right,
imagine that!

[TheKentuckian]

12. K&R

[Dr.Phool]

13. Kick and Rec.

Why does Kucinich hate Amerika?