The U.S. by law allows the government to assassinate combatants fighting against the U.S., including both foreign nationals and American citizens.
The program, shrouded in secrecy, has lots of critics — I’m not one of them — who believe it is or should be unlawful to execute people overseas who are enemies of the U.S. and have killed our troops and American citizens directly or indirectly through planning and enlisting killers, as was the situation in the case of Anwar al-Awlaki, born an American citizen of a Muslim family, he went to Yemen and became a terrorist associated with al-Qaida.
Al-Awlaki was responsible for recruiting Americans to the cause of terrorism. It was impossible to extradite him. He was killed by a drone, and President Obama has chosen to make the final decision in each case of putting a person’s name on the list to be assassinated.
There are some who believe a president should not be involved in such discussions and should leave it to others. I believe he should be applauded for his willingness to take responsibility.
However, I believe it preferable to have a federal court given the responsibility under the Patriot Act to set up appropriate procedures, in secrecy, as is the case with another secret court which now provides wiretapping permissions under the Patriot Act.
Indeed, the same court could handle the assassination designations.
Actions like these that would be unacceptable in peacetime become acceptable in wartime. Remember the Islamist terrorists are committed to destroying Western civilization through killings and other acts of terrorism and bringing us to our knees economically.
The Islamist terrorist war includes efforts to convert the entire world to Islam by force if necessary.
Radical Islam allows Christians and Jews to continue to practice their religion — in the words of Bernard Lewis, foremost U.S. expert on Islam, only “if they accept the supremacy of Islam and that of the Muslim state. On that condition, they may continue in the practice of their religion.”
I don’t understand the legal basis for using drones to kill terrorists in Pakistan when the Pakistani government objects. They are a sovereign country with whom we are not at war.
I also don’t understand why we pretend they are allies, when they assist terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Taliban, and they refuse to allow our military supply vehicles to use their roads to bring supplies to Afghanistan and, worst of all, why we continue to provide the Pakistani government with billions in economic and military aid every year.
They are not our friends.
Edward Koch was the 105th mayor of New York City for three terms, from 1978 to 1989. He previously served for nine years as a congressman. Read more reports from Ed Koch — Click Here Now.
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