Most Censored Stories of 2011: Story #3 Obama Authorizes International Assassination Campaign.
What many people don't know, is that the CIA has american targets and President Obama has the authority to authorize their killing. The grounds for assassination are quite vague and violate human rights, international human rights, as well as constitutional rights.
The Main Facts:
1. After the september 11th attacks, Bush Gave the CIA, and later the military, authority to kill US citizens abroad if strong evidence existed that an American was involved in organizing or carrying out terrorist actions against the United States or US interests, military and intelligence. the evidence has to meet a certain Threshold. The person, for instance, has to pose " a continuing and imminent threat to US persons and interests," Said one former intelligence official.
2. The Obama administration has adopted the same stance. If a US citizen joins al-Qaeda, "it doesn't really change anything from the standpoint of whether we can target them," A senior administration official said. "They are then part of the enemy".
3. Both the CIA and the JSOC maintain lists of individuals called "High value targets" and "High value individuals." As of several months ago, the CIA list included 3 US citizens.
4. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are currently challenging this notion in the US district court for the district of Columbia.
5. The lawsuit stems from the killing of Nasser Al-Aulaqi's son, a US citizen, who was targeted and killed by the US government. The ACLU and the CCR hope the court will rule that the US government can only kill a US citizen if there is proof of an imminent threat to life.
6. "it is alarming to hear that the Obama administration is asserting that the president can authorize the assassination of Americans abroad, even if they are far from any battlefield and may have never taken up arms against the US, but have only been deemed to constitute and unspecified threat" - Ben Wizner Attorney for the ACLU national security project.
7. Violation of international human rights and law.
-Violation of the 5th amendment, no person to be violated of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
Lexus nexus:
http://www.lexisnexis.com.cobalt.champlain.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteUm, this seems like an important story, and CENSORED, as you say.
More hyperlinks, please!
You use embeds and photos quite well, and provide us with plenty of summary text, as well.
Very good work.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Dr. W