The "kill list": Obama targeting U.S. citizens for assassination

[Spider-Dan]

As you may have heard, Obama has a "kill list" detailing terrorist suspects who the U.S. government is attempting to eliminate.  Many on the left have complained about this, some going so far as to create a petition for a "Do Not Kill List" (in the spirit of the Do Not Call list) to keep American citizens from being assassinated abroad.

I find this to be an interesting example in which I diverge from many progressives.  To me, the entire line of criticism is ridiculous, for a couple of reasons:

1) Why should U.S. citizens living in other countries be afforded any more protection from military assassination than any other person?  If you really believe that these killings should not take place without a trial and conviction, why is an Al-Qaeda operative born in London any less entitled to due process of law than one born in Cleveland?

2) If you really believe that these killings should not be able to be authorized without due process, on what basis can you allow the U.S. government to kill any terrorist at all?  Should we be holding mass trials in absentia for the entirety of Al-Qaeda?  Or should the U.S. military be restricted to capture-only?

I really don't understand some of my fellow leftists on this one.  The entire controversy is complaining just to complain.

[Dave Gray]

I agree with you.

I think you lose Due Process when you go behind enemy lines and act as a combatant. 

[Landshark]

Believe it or not, this is nothing new.  The President and a select group of advisors have been meeting clandestinely and putting together such lists since the Colonial days.  People who are likely to end up on that list are terror or treason suspects.  They are considered to be a serious threat to U.S. national security and they need to be eliminated quickly because due process will slow things down and some serious damage could occur.

It's basically a way the President can exercise his ability as Commander in Chief without Congressional checks and balances.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I am opposed to a "kill list" as a general concept.

I have no problem with a "capture list."  And I have no problem with killing them if they resist capture.  But I don't think we shoud have a list of people we are attempting to assinate (US citizen or not).   

[Sunstroke]

Kill them all, let the Supreme Flying Spaghetti Monster sort them out...

[Spider-Dan]

Strictly speaking, it is a "capture or kill" list.  But they don't spend a whole lot of resources trying to capture them.

If one of them were apprehended by another nation, I don't think we'd go pick him up and shoot him in the head.

[JVides]

"I despise everything about you and actively work toward your demise, but I shouldn't have to bear the ultimate responsibility for my actions if confronted by the military!"

Yeah...good luck with that one.