Government Says It Can Assassinate or Indefinitely Detain Americans on American Soil Without Any Due Process of Law
I’ve previously noted that Obama says that he can assassinate American citizens living on U.S. soil.
This admittedly sounds over-the-top. But one of the nation’s top constitutional and military law experts – Jonathan Turley – agrees.
- Is the second most cited law professor in the country
- Has worked as both the CBS and NBC legal analyst during national controversies
- Ranks 38th in the top 100 most cited ‘public intellectuals’ in a recent study by a well-known judge
- Is one of the top 10 lawyers handling military cases
- Has served as a consultant on homeland security and constitutional issues
- Is a frequent witness before the House and Senate on constitutional and statutory issues
Turley said yesterday on C-Span (starting at 15:50):
President Obama has just stated a policy that he can have any American citizen killed without any charge, without any review, except his own. If he’s satisfied that you are a terrorist, he says that he can kill you anywhere in the world including in the United States.
Two of his aides just … reaffirmed they believe that American citizens can be killed on the order of the President anywhere including the United States.
You’ve now got a president who says that he can kill you on his own discretion. He can jail you indefinitely on his own discretion
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I don’t think the the Framers ever anticipated that [the American people would be so apathetic]. They assumed that people would hold their liberties close, and that they wouldn’t relax …
The Government Has Never Given a Rationale for Assassination
While one might assume that the government has given a valid justification for the claim that it can assassinate anyone anywhere, the Washington Post noted yesterday:
In outlining its legal reasoning, the administration has cited broad congressional authorizations and presidential approvals, the international laws of war and the right to self-defense. But it has not offered the American public, uneasy allies or international authorities any specifics that would make it possible to judge how it is applying those laws.
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“They’ve based it on the personal legitimacy of [President] Obama — the ‘trust me’ concept,” [American University law professor Kenneth Anderson] said. “That’s not a viable concept for a president going forward.”
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Under domestic law, the administration considers [assassinations] to be covered by the Authorization for Use of Military Force that Congress passed days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In two key sentences that have no expiration date, the AUMF gives the president sole power to use “all necessary and appropriate force” against nations, groups or persons who committed or aided the attacks, and to prevent future attacks. [But the government just broadened the authorization for use of military force from those who attacked us on 9/11 to include the Taliban and the vague category of "associated forces".]
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The authorization did not address targets’ nationality or set geographical boundaries, and there was “nothing about the permission of the government” of any country where a terrorist might be found, the former official said.
And see this.
Almost Any American Could Be Arbitrarily Labeled a “Terrorist”
As I’ve previously noted, this is especially concerning when almost any American could be labeled a “terrorist” if the government doesn’t happen to like them:
It is dangerous in a climate where you can be labeled as or suspected of being a terrorist simply for questioning war, protesting anything, asking questions about pollution or about Wall Street shenanigans, supporting Ron Paul, being a libertarian, holding gold, or stocking up on more than 7 days of food. [And the FBI says that activists who investigate factory farms can be prosecuted as terrorists.] And see this.
And it is problematic in a period in which FBI agents and CIA intelligence officials, constitutional law expert professor Jonathan Turley, Time Magazine, Keith Olbermann and the Washington Post have all said that U.S. government officials “were trying to create an atmosphere of fear in which the American people would give them more power”, and even former Secretary of Homeland Security – Tom Ridge – admitst hat he was pressured to raise terror alerts to help Bush win reelection.
And it is counter-productive in an age when the government – instead of doing the things which could actually make us safer – are doing things which increasethe risk of terrorism.
And it is insane in a time of perpetual war. See this, this, this and this.
And when the “War on Terror” in the Middle East and North Africa which is being used to justify the attack on Americans was planned long before 9/11.
And when Jimmy Carter’s National Security Adviser told the Senate in 2007 that the war on terror is “a mythical historical narrative”. And 9/11 was entirely foreseeable, but wasn’t stopped. Indeed, no one in Washington even wants to hear how 9/11 happened, even though that is necessary to stop future terrorist attacks. And the military has bombed a bunch of oil-rich countries when it could have instead taken out Bin Laden years ago.
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And – given that U.S. soldiers admit that if they accidentally kill innocent Iraqis and Afghanis, they then “drop” automatic weapons near their body so they can pretend they were militants – it is unlikely that the government would ever admit that an American citizen it assassinated was an innocent civilian who has nothing at all to do with terrorism.
Help wake up the ‘out of touch’ Christian vote!
Link articles and free artwork in blogs and emails:
The ‘Other’ 2012 Christian US Voters Guide
http://templestream.blogspot.com/2011/12/other-2012-christian-voters-guide.html
The Christian / Neocon Quiz
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The germ theory of government is looking more and more viable.
Please Google This: Eric Holder: Hero Of Oklahoma City, Defender Of Mexico
America is beginning to look more like Mexico under CIA-Sinaloa-Federali occupation.
If you are wondering why I have been unusually polite to Mr Holder, I must explain that under the provisions of the NDAA he can have me disappeared into a secret prison without a lawyer or a trial. I could be tortured and killed. The Department of Justice has probably already established guidelines as to what qualifies bloggers to be tortured as opposed to the mere suspension of our First Amendment rights to express our views or to peaceably assemble to present our grievances to the government. Did I fail to mention that I believe every lie Washington DC has ever told and that slavery is freedom?
Mr Holder, please do not torture me. Of course there are limits. I think I would rather die than to vote for either Barack Obama or Jeb Bush in 2012. Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are so 20 minutes ago.
[Most interesting, Washington's Blog. I came across this telling little snippet on the web. Enjoy.]
Christmas in Obama’s America
A dirty-looking old man is seated on a park bench. He sees a young boy coming by and says (while looking nervously around) “Hey, kid, you wanna see something that you’re not supposed to see or even think about – something that has the words ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ in it?”
(If you liked what you just read, you’ll love reading “Obamas Fulfilling the Bible” which is found on Yahoo, AOL etc.)
Doesn’t the NDAA explicitly states that its prescriptions regardind terrorists does not apply to US citizens or foreigners that are legally living in the US ?
Minor loophole.. While on it’s own, the NDAA would be essentially like the Patriot Act… However.. There’s the rub.. The NDAA says it will not interfere with any current legislation regarding the rights of U.S Citizens.. That is where the Patriot act joins with NDAA and literally ushers in Totalitarianism
Ex Parte Milligan, one of the greatest legal decisions of the Supreme Court put the issue of martial law for US civilians to rest for all time. The entire common law tradition and the constitutional requirement for superiority of civilian jurisdiction over the the military is laid out in historical detail.
Then a panicky WWII era Supreme Court, simply discarded Milligan without explanation in In ex parte Quirin. This is the case that forms the basis for John Yoo’s theory the President can do whatever he wants during wartime to anyone. This is the same thinking that brought about the Japanese American internment during WWII. The thesis (and Congressional “finding”) behind the DAA is that the US is a battlefield. This is patent nonsense and an attempt to justify martial jurisdiction as if there was a wartime exigency affecting the courts which doesn’t, in fact, exist.
The DAA is a direct attack on the Bill of Rights and the power of the third branch, the Judiciary.
I e-mailed Sen. Casey on this issue and he assured me only members of AlQaeda can be targeted for these policies. What is the truth her?
HR 1540, section 1021 seems to clash with section 8a of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, since it is part of an appropriations Act.
“SEC. 8. (a) Authority to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations wherein involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances shall not be inferred–
(1) from any provision of law (whether or not in effect before the date of the enactment of this joint resolution), including any provision contained in any appropriation Act, unless such provision specifically authorizes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into such situations and stating that it is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of this joint resolution; or …”
How about instead of quoting somebody else about what Obama has said, why not quote Obama himself?
We are moving towards a malitia state being prepared is not something I feel we can do, There already to many things already in force….. Going underground is the only answer………
It’s hard to believe this is happening in America but when one knows who controls Obama, it appears to point right at those pushing the NWO.
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/obamalist.htm
Talk about misleading.. the CSPAN interview actually says that Obama just stated that he is going to MAINTAIN the policy – MAINTAIN BEING THE KEY WORD – The Patriot Act was extended, so this is the same laws written and passed by the GOP under Bush. So, Bush also had this right as well. The Bush administration held people in Guantanamo Bay, the Obama administration closed that gulag.
Bush had the same rights, and locked up people without due process.