The Obama Administration has demanded that a federal judge throw out a lawsuit relating to the assassination of three US citizens in Obama-ordered drone strikes, saying that questions about overseas kill lists are beyond the purview of the court system and that it is inappropriate to question the president in this regard.
The demand comes with a threat to declare the entire issue of the killings a “state secret” if the judge doesn’t dismiss the lawsuit out of hand, which would make the case as a practical matter virtually impossible.
The Justice Department’s motion went on to say that the court system had no say over the question of whether assassinating American citizens overseas was proportionate or justified, and that questions of “due process” in the summary executions were not something courts could constitutionally consider.
The motion also insisted that there was no standing to question the assassination of Anwar Awlaki or his son, Abdulrahman Awlaki, because the later was the heir of the former and was killed before he was able to file a lawsuit as executor of the estate.
The elder Awlaki was referred to as a “leader” in a terrorist group in the motion, but the administration has repeatedly declined to provide any evidence for this, and has only cited sermons critical of US foreign policy as proof he is an “extremist.” The younger Awlaki was never even suspected of a crime, but was assassinated shortly after his father.
Badges…….. We don't need no stinkin badges…!!!???
Seems to me like it's a unprofitable course of action to question the lenghthof the courts arm in ANY matter… as in shutt-up…. You got nothin to say ……. Always draws a …. "Oh yeah, watch me" … response.
Obama, you are not KING YET!!
All question should be directed to The Decider.
I cannot help but to think about that most recent school shooting in Massachusetts. Our President, the leader of our country, is out shooting up people by drones overseas, supplies insurgents with funds and weapons to make wars in other countries killing people wholesale, adults are out singing bomb bomb Iran while others applaud whenever bombs are dropped on Gaza; and then we wonder when some kid goes off to shoot up a few children a school?
We need our Judge Sirica.
For those too young to know, that was the Chief Judge of the DC Circuit who refused these same sorts of excuses in the Watergate case.
Obama is no Nixon, but these arguments are pure Nixon, and we have a right to demand better of our government. We won't get better if we don't demand it.
Even Nixon, and everyone knows how evil Nixon was, did noy dare go to such extremes.
If it was a 'state secrets' issue that would have been the very first thing played by the government; using it as a threat only proves that it's NOT a 'state secret' and is just a ploy to get the case dismissed.
As for the justification of murdering Awlaki the Younger, that's the most asinine, ridiculous reason ever presented- 'we killed him because he would have able to sue us'? REALLY?
I guarantee you if those lawyers (and I use the title 'lawyer' as an insult in this case) had the same horror visited upon them as the Awlaki family they would change their tune very, very quickly.
John, that tune would indeed have changed the minute it occurred.
"it is inappropriate to question the President in this regard" — words the Founding Fathers could never imagined as being heard in the America they fought to create.
My guess is that the Founding Fathers would have immediately moved to impeach a President that dared to even utter such words.
What Obama really meant to say to Newtown ….. kids like Adam Lanza can't be allowed to kill your children. Only I can be allowed to kill your children.
Who made this POS king?
There is absolutely nothing beyond the purview of the court where the "public business" is being conducted. I am disgusted by public funds being spend by the chief executive to conduct summary executions. This must STOP!
The President may not want a light shining into this corner of his administration. I recently heard him remark about how his daughter would have the same treatment concerning teen-age phone calls coming as they have in Chicago. It seems as if Chicago-style politics may be practiced by the President. My family and I are from Chicago. Obama's summary executions smack of old time Chicago – Double pop so no one is alive is ask or answer questions. Only difference then was the victims simply showed up as "missing persons".