Salon: ACLU, CCR seek to have Obama enjoined from killing without due process

[futurebeachbum]

Discussion from Glenn Greenwald on Salon about recent developments in the Awlaki case. Awlaki's Dad has retained the ACLU and CCR to defend his son and they have filed for an injunction to prevent his assassination.

Turns out that an American lawyer cannot (according to the US Government) represent an American citizen in American courts if that citizen has been declared a "Global Terrorist".

Apparently no standards of evidence have to be met to make such a declaration.

Even more interesting is that under Bush, a President could get away with eavesdropping on and detaining American Citizens with no warrant or due process. This was roundly boo'ed by the Democrats (as it should have been.)

Now the that the Democrats are running things, they want to raise the bar. Not happy with eavesdropping and detentions, the Administration now claims that the President can order the assassination of US citizens abroad with no trial and no chance at representation.

Knee-jerk Democrats would expect Fox News would be raising heck about this. Instead, here is a nice Youtube discussion from MSNBC featuring Glenn discussing it.

I guess we should just be happy that the President can't 'legally' order a citizen's assassination within our borders (yet?)

YouTube - Glenn Greenwald: If it's OK to target Americans for assassination, what's left?

 

[scooterbug44]

I thought the fact that the President publicly went through the proper channels and GOT approval rather than just doing it and hiding it/lying about it was a nice change.

We (the USA, our military, the CIA, whomever) can under international law use lethal force against people that pose an imminent threat to our country.

People who know a lot more about it than I do think this person is a grave threat to America and have publicly taken the appropriate legal steps to remove that threat.

Frankly, I don't have a problem with that - especially when the same people supposedly outraged by this are the same ones saying that we are in danger and need to spend billions on wars (including against terror) and "homeland security".

Does anyone here REALLY have a problem with us legally declaring open season on a known terrorist already linked to BOTH the Ft. Hood attack and the underwear bomber AND planning more attacks?