WP: Justice Dept. document justifies killing Americans overseas if they pose ‘imminent threat’

[JMS]

JMS, I guess you mean in your assumption of no imminent threat

Yes absolutely... If you believe an imminent threat means you can take years to diagnose it, and years to deal with it after that.... then our defintions of imminent and threat are not the same. What kind of imminent threat yeilds you several years to deal with?

I would argue Anwar al-Aulaqi was an ideal candidate for a trial.. Throw a net on him and bring him back for a ride on the rocket docket....

Coarse that would assume the government had more than a perception that he was a threat and actually had proof of it.

guilt has little to do with taking out perceived threats,our assumptions do....and of course authority

we can always argue guilt after the fact

I would argue guilt absolutely plays a role, and should... Perhaps guilty of being a threat.... I'm arguing perceptions shouldn't be enough to murder americans... You should have more. You should have to prove the threat to an unbiased independent party, and the accused should have the opprotunity to defend himself and face his accusors... I mean if you are going to take 4 years on it, after having the guy in prison for a few years prior to that without a trial... One could argue the lack of attention to the means caused the entire perception of threat in the instance of Anwar al-Aulaqi

[twa]

What kind of imminent threat yeilds you four years to deal with?

a ongoing one that you never got a clean shot at

you must have legal training

[JMS]

a ongoing one that you never got a clean shot at

you must have legal training

No but I can read a dictionary...

imminent - "about to happen" and immanent is "inherent" or "pervading the material world." close in time; about to occur; "retribution is at hand"; "some people believe the day of judgment is close at hand"; "in imminent danger"; "his impending retirement"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/imminent

For instance... 2 - 4 years down the road does not fit the defnition of imminent.. Nor does we interviewed him 8 times ( fbi) and let him go... Or we had him in custody for years, and let him go.... .

---------- Post added February-6th-2013 at 08:11 PM ----------

"Fools have to learn by experience" indeed..

In pace requiescat. :

[twa]

look up ongoing

but it is kind of you to show he posed no imminent threat earlier in our opinion...till something changed

[PeterMP]

Killing American over seas because they might have done something wrong or have been involved in something wrong is wrong and bad and a bad direction for the US.

Yes, this decison might lead to some innocent Americans being killed or otherwise harmed, but I'm sure the basic presumption of innocence has done the same.

And I wouldn't support over turning that either.

[SkinsHokieFan]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-citizens-split-on-doj-memo-authorizing-go,31207/

American Citizens Split On DOJ Memo Authorizing Government To Kill Them

WASHINGTON—Following the release of a secret Department of Justice memo this week that outlines the administration’s legal justification for killing U.S. citizens, a new Pew Research Center poll has revealed that a majority of Americans are torn over whether they support the government’s right to kill them anywhere at any time without due process. “On the one hand, I get it—it’s important for the government to be able to murder me and any of my friends or family members whenever they please for reputed national security reasons. But on the other hand, it would kind of be nice to stay alive and have, maybe, a trial, actual evidence—stuff like that,” said visibly conflicted 39-year-old Nashua, NH resident Rebecca Sawyer, who, like millions of other Americans, is split over whether secret federal agents should be allowed to target and assassinate her anywhere on U.S. soil. “I wouldn’t mind if federal officials blew up other citizens and claimed it was in the name of my safety. But it’s just that when it comes to me, I guess I’d rather not be slaughtered by my own elected officials on charges that never have to be validated by any accountable authority. This is tough.” While most Americans expressed conflicted feelings regarding the memo, the poll also found that 28 percent of citizens were unequivocally in favor of being obliterated at any point, for any reason, in a massive airstrike.

---------- Post added February-7th-2013 at 08:59 PM ----------

This also made me laugh