Judicial oversight is for sissies. How Obama can legally kill you in your sleep

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
3/6/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Attorney General claims Obama has power to kill citizens on American soil.

President Obama can kill you, without a trial, based on a secret determination that remains entirely within the executive branch. This is the conclusion explained by Attorney Eric Holder in a letter to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).

Shown: Catastrophic change.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Of course, the statement is highly qualified. Attorney General Eric Holder explained the circumstances under which President Obama could order the use of lethal force against an American without due process.

Holder explained in his letter "well-established law enforcement authorities in this country provide the best means for incapacitating a terrorist threat." He also made clear that the government has no intention of initiating drone strikes in the United States.

However, he did reserve the right for Obama to order such a strike in extraordinary circumstances.

"It is possible, I suppose," Holder wrote, " to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States. For example, the president could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force if necessary to protect the homeland in the circumstances like a catastrophic attack like the ones suffered on December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001."

Unfortunately there are a couple problems with this statement that give rights activists considerable pause.

First, outsiders carried out the attacks carried out on the United States at Pearl Harbor and on 9-11, none of the attackers were Americans and as enemy combatants, they were not entitled to the full course of due process guaranteed by the Constitution.

Second, Obama has already carried out attacks on Americans on foreign soil, all without due process.

The decision to make those attacks has fallen to an unknown person within the ranks of the Obama administration. The criteria is supposed to be if "an informed, high-level official of the US government has determined that the targeted individual poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the US."

However, we know of several examples where Americans have been killed without any evidence that they were engaged in planning a specific and imminent threat of violence.

Of course, this determination happens in secret, entirely under the purview of the executive branch.

Taken as a whole, this means that sometime over the next three-and-a-half years of the Obama administration, should Obama feel the situation warrant it, he could order the military to conduct a secret drone strike on an American for reasons known only to those within his secret cabal which is judge, jury, and executioner.

This isn't the way it's supposed to be. Presidents may not order the killing of fellow Americans because he thinks they might be up to something nefarious. Indeed, this has been the criteria in the past. Without judicial review nothing really needs to be proven. Without knowing who the deciders are, we don't even know what the standard of evidence is, if there is one.

The only difference is one of geography.

Fortunately, drones don't care much for geography, since they are airborne platforms equipped with high tech, long range weaponry.

Meanwhile, under Obama's watch, drones are already becoming ubiquitous in American skies. Eventually, someone will arm them, and it's just a matter of time before someone calls a shot. The sword itself incites to violence.

Lethal attacks against Americans overseas are troubling enough. It's yet more troubling to think they could be part of our future here in America.

Perhaps Obama and Holder would do better in Venezuela? There's a job opening down there just now.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Holder, Obama, drone, strike, murder, kill, judicial, oversight, review

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1 - 10 of 10 Comments

robert matzinger
3 months ago
I'd like to think that maybe "we" now understand why the Afghans oppose the use of drones in their towns and villages.

And if it bothers us to use drones here to attack someone in our neighborhood, then ';d think we'd have to oppse their usein other countries neighboirhoods well.
Ron Mulvaney
3 months ago
Article totally misread Attorney General Holder's ruling.
George Ronald Adkisson
3 months ago
In the face of doom...one must plan to provide the means to never realize the doom, or we are doomed...exampled by the days of doom Ezra spoke .
We as humans, whether we are religious or not have basic needs. The type doom I have concerned myself with...is what we need for the continuation of life here upon Earth.
Weapons are not a good replacement for the ones that have lost their persona. Financial gain is not the mark of a man...and certainly has placed Women and Children in a precarious situation just to survive.
Revenge is God's alone.Not the Congress or President of the united States.
Nancy J. Murphy
3 months ago
When the Obama Administration can make a baby with 2 human sperm or 2 human eggs, there is a chance for debate. No other way to put it. God alone creates human life. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever more shall be.
Thomas
3 months ago
This is becoming less and less a government of the people for the people and by the people. Greed and self love have taken over. Children now tell us how we should think, and how life should be lived, and there parents agree. One word I haven' heard in years, since the voting age was lower to 18, is an age of discernment. Our children are miss lead by a narristic, egomaniacs in the halls of government, hollywood, and in there music, God Help us, Jesus help us, Blessed Mary pray for us.

Now we don't have to listen to opposing views we can kill eah other, and it is sanctioned by Our elected officials, wake up America.
mgm.
3 months ago
On 9/11 didn't President Bush order the U.S armed forces to shoot down American civilian passenger aircraft in United States air space if the occupants on broad didn't respond to orders from ground or military aircraft in pursuit ?(killing Americans) Somehow I think the President has the rightful duty to call in a air strike if that what's needed in a terrorist situation (in Act)being perpetrated in the U.S.by foreign or domestic grown terrorist if that's what military or police experts advised him to do .People that worry about drones killing you in your sleep would better worry about mid-air collisions between little hard to see drones (operated by hobbyist or industry) and large civilian aircraft with people on board .
Jerry N
3 months ago
I'm not overly worried about Obama's use of drones. I'm extremely worried that he is killing all of us, while both awake and sleeping, using a tyrannical power-grab known as Obamacare and using intentional and wasteful over-spending to destroy economic growth and to make the currency worthless.
Daniel
3 months ago
Churches destroyed. Priests killed. Parishioners terrified. When this becomes a reality we should not forget who is behind these acts of terrorism. And may I be the first to be killed in my sleep by a drone attack. Rather, may they attempt to kill me in my sleep with a drone. God and His army will protect me and my family.
Emma
3 months ago
Two young boys, ten and eleven yrs. old, out gathering firewood, accompanied by a extremely threatening looking beast taking the form of a donkey had the misfortune of being spotted by an American Helicopter Gunship. They were executed! Why no coverage of this in mainstream media outlets? Where is the outrage over this evil disregard for innocent life? Think it can't happen to you or your children? Think again. We are trapped in a web of deceit that is going to be next to impossible to extricate ourselves from. I am disgusted and ashamed of my country! What became of honor among soldiers? The deeper one delves, the more horrible acts come to light. Think your gov. won't execute you? Remember Kent State you children of the Vietnam Era? I will not contribute one more penny willingly to this death machine in whatever form it takes, whether it be abortion or war crimes! So, who would Jesus bomb? Who would Jesus tell us to execute? I do believe somewhere in Scripture it tells us that we reap what we sow. We can't plant peas and expect to harvest corn! That also is natural law. Cut off your tax support. Stop feeding the beast! If we continue to contribute the fruits of our labor to this killing machine, the blood is on our hands just as surely as if we pulled the trigger or weilded the scalpel. I refuse to continue to contribute to this. I refuse to speak out against it while I remain a contributor to it. I can serve life here in my own community by supporting a struggling single parent, by buying food or medicine for someone without. I do not have to contribute via a war machine that siphons dollars to Blackwater, Halliburton, and other profiteers of war and death. Think it can't happen to you? Then you've been sleeping for the past ten years! Wake up Rip van Winkle!
Rose
3 months ago
You think it can't get any worse, but everyday we get closer and closer to relinquishing all our freedoms to the tyrant in the White House. I always wondered why the Jews got on the train. Now I know. The government told them that it was the right thing to do. If you don't learn from history, it will repeat itself.

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