Obama administration to release drone memo on killing U.S. citizens
 

Obama administration to release drone memo on killing U.S. citizens

Rather than appeal a court order that the so-called “drone memo” be released under the Freedom of Information Act, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. concurred with the decision of Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli not to pursue the appeal and agreed to release a redacted version of the document, the officials said.

Administration lawyers are asking that the document be redacted to hide classified information, officials confirmed, although the legal reasoning will be legible.

The news leaked a day before the Senate was scheduled to hold a procedural vote to advance the judicial nomination of the writer of the memo, David Barron, a former Justice Department official nominated to serve on the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

The promise of disclosure did not appear to derail a promised filibuster of the nomination by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Paul said last week that he had read the memo and wasn’t satisfied.

And in an advance excerpt from his prepared remarks, released Tuesday, Paul said he would oppose the nomination of “anyone who would argue that the president has the power to kill American citizens not involved in combat.”

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“I rise today to say that there is no legal precedent for killing American citizens not directly involved in combat and that any nominee who rubber stamps and grants such power to a president is not worthy of being placed one step away from the Supreme Court,” Paul wrote.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, said he had lined up the Democratic votes to confirm Barron.

“I think we'll be OK,” Reid said. “I don't know if everybody -- but certainly most everyone in our caucus is satisfied.”


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I regard the position of the terrorists in question as 'constructive combat.' That is, they are engaged in planning, directing, or supporting armed terrorist actions, including actions against America and Americans; they are armed and surrounded by fighters, and they would be virtually certain to engage in combat with ground forces if such were sent to 'arrest' them.

I think the basic rule that Americans actively engaged in hostile combat are subject to lethal force can be extended to these situations.

But how do you know that is the case? Look to the bold in your comment.

I would favor a court reviewing the evidence and signing off before such strikes are carried out.

Thanks, a trial by peers is the only rule of law. When you allow a government arbitrarily decide that's a totalitarian regime.

How do you know it isn't?

What, you think we should announce intentions to go after domestic terrorists in the media, then wait to see if public opinion supports it? Wait for feedback from Limbaugh, Alex Jones and the John Birch Society?
Run national security like the "birther" nonsense? The government can't do anything until the fucking Tea Party signs off on it?

You're either insane or as dumb as a day is long.

I'm going to the gym.

Have a nice night.

Dave

The government has no right to just execute Americans because the say they broke the law. We have rule of law by trial of our peers.

Too bad the BLM doesn't a fleet of Reapers. They could've simply retreated from that deadbeat Cliven Bundy's militia and popped a dozen Hellfire's into that crowd of seditionists. Done deal. ;)

Better yet just give the Department of the Interior 40 or 50 Apaches and paint 'em up in war paint. :D

I'm not sure I agree with that, Bob. They WANT federal agents to do something violent. That would be the validation they seek. Nope, I think the best thing to do is exactly what's being done. NOTHING. Just let the freaks stew in their own shit as the hot Nevada sun works on them. Sit back and watch as they become a pain in the ass to each other and the local citizenry. 100-110-120 degrees, longer, hotter days. Maybe send in moles to spread rumors, fire them up and turn them against each other at the most.

If it's done right, they'll implode on their own. Don't take any of the pigs down unless you have indisputable proof they fired first.

Dave

Unless you're a heavily armed insurrectionist. Then you just die the same as any enemy combatant would.

Dave

American law only applies on US soil. Therein lies the difference. Designate them enemy combatants and legal system does not apply. Rumsfeld said so and that's good enough for me.

Except a regular trial is impossible under the circumstances. I just want a judge to review the evidence and sign off on the use of lethal force.

I agree that it's better that the executive not have the power to do this without concurrence of the other branches. Though I'd wait for the purges and concentration camps to actually ramp up before I'd go to the 'totalitarian' rhetoric. You waste the words right now, and what are you going to use when a real 'totalitarian regime' comes along?

Kind of like one search warrant NSA got to spy on everyone?


I'm already an enemy of the state didn't you know?

And, that is the clarion view.

A whole lot of shrill, alarmist vitriol has been tossed about the last five-six years, most of it having little or no basis in reality. It has become obvious to me that Americans are thoroughly spoiled by our extremely lenient form of government and thus haven't the slightest clue what real tyranny looks like.

Regards,
Dave

Some American fled it Dave that's pretty narrow minded don't you think?
Needless to say we are heading there in short order.

Yes, they did. And, I'm pretty sure they think those fools in Nevada are making a big to do over nothing.

And, no, we're not.

Dave

While I agree a lot of this is necessary I seem to remember a certain party running against it not that long ago.

Pete

The only thing this guy deserves is interpersonal scorn. The appropriate reply to any post from 5 below is a firm statement of...uh...interpersonal scorn...yep, that's it. I can't think of any better description of what his posts deserve.

Obama wants to murder American citizens with drones. The teabaggers are right...he's an anti-colonialist, bloodthirsty Kenyan junglebunny witchdoctor.

Take a fucking hike 5 below. This place is no better than AK? Good. Get the fuck out then.