Obama’s Drone Memo: The Mind-boggling Hypocrisy Of The Left Is Alive & Well

Flopping Aces ^ | 02-05-13 | Curt

[Starman417]

News broke today that Obama and pals have a memo that says they can kill any citizen of this country even if they are not engaged in a plot to attack the US:

A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” -- even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.

The 16-page memo, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News, provides new details about the legal reasoning behind one of the Obama administration’s most secretive and controversial polices: its dramatically increased use of drone strikes against al-Qaida suspects abroad, including those aimed at American citizens, such as the September 2011 strike in Yemen that killed alleged al-Qaida operatives Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. Both were U.S. citizens who had never been indicted by the U.S. government nor charged with any crimes.

To sum up the memo (available here) it says that the US can target a citizen for death if they believe a threat to be "imminent" even when no threat is immediately present. The citizen must have been involved in "activities", but doesn't define "activities," and it's not up to the US to prove that the citizen is a imminent threat, no...instead the citizen must prove to one sole government official that he has renounced and abandoned the "activities"

Remember the wails, screams, protests, endless newscasts and so on when Bush just detained and eavesdropped on Americans.

Now Obama targets them for assassination and we get this from the far left?

http://www.mrctv.org/videos/watch-two-far-left-msnbc-hosts-actually-support-doj-drone-memo

TOURE NEBLETT: We're at war with al Qaeda right now, and if you join al Qaeda, you lose the right to be an American. You lose the right to due process. You declare yourself an enemy of this nation, and you are committing treason. And I don't see why we should expand American rights to people who want to kill Americans, who are working to kill Americans, who are committing treason. This is not criticizing the United States. This is going to war against the United States.

KRYSTAL BALL: ...I’m on board with Toure. I think, you know, if we are at war with al Qaeda, and part of the challenge here is that is a war that does not have the borders of a traditional war, and that is what we’re grappling with really here, that's part of the struggle. But the part that I'm uncomfortable with is, you know, why couldn't this memo have been made public to start with?

She's uncomfortable that the memo wasn't released earlier is all. Who cares what the memo itself says.

Toure was asked on twitter by Kirsten Powers about this:

Wow.
RT @toure: He's the Commander in Chief.
RT @kirstenpowers10: You are fine w the White House deciding who is guilty and who should die?
— Nick Dyer (@MrNickDyer) February 5, 2013

He's the Commander in Chief.

Can you imagine him saying this if it was Bush.

This hypocrisy is just so unimaginable.

John Sexton brings up even more hypocrisy in this memo and the support Obama is getting from the left:

(excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...

[blueunicorn6]

It’s OK to kill people with Democrat bullets and missiles because they care more.

[Diogenesis]

"We already have Death Panels for you here,
and fund crucifixions and rape in Egypt.
What difference does it make?"

[lacrew]

But the second amendment is only about hunting....

[jwalsh07]

Conservatives damn well better conserve the constitution and oppose the murder of US citizens by Kings. It is one thing for a soldier to kill a citizen in exigent circumstances but it is entirely wrong for Kings to sit in the White House and murder by drone. America needs to wake the fu7k up.

[cripplecreek]

Shoot first and create evidence later?

[Flatus I. Maximus]

...and if you join [insert name here], you lose the right to be an American. You lose the right to due process. You declare yourself an enemy of this nation, and you are committing treason.

Fair enough.

And since the statute of limitations never runs out on murder or treason, I guess that means this treasonous b!tch is fair game now.

[cripplecreek]

Its pretty bad. Even Bob Beckel was complaining about this one.

[Pontiac]

Who decides that a particular person presents a threat sufficient to justify the government’s summarily killing him? The Justice Department contends that the Constitution permits this decision to be entrusted to an “informed high-level official” — with no judicial review before the killing or even after. This is wrong and dangerous.

Wow, it is getting bad when the Justice Department is totally oblivious to what the Constitution authorizes.

I think Holders Justice Department needs a good remedial reading teacher. Oh but don’t call over to the Department of Education for one, they have sworn off teaching reading.

[JustTheTruth]

"People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word."

- George Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 1

[potlatch]

            
 

[potlatch]

Sorry, I asked to have one removed !!

[Pontiac]

Just in case Holder’s people are eaves dropping on us Right Wing Extremist. Here is the governing bases for why you can’t legally kill an US citizen with out the inconvenience of a trial. I'll bold the applicable parts having to do with putting a private citizen to death so that they don't miss them.

Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb ; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[ArmyTeach]

The Justice Department contends that the Constitution permits this decision to be entrusted to an “informed high-level official” — with no judicial review before the killing or even after. I'm no Constitutional expert, but I don't believe I've ever read or heard of anything like this in the Constitution. Someone cite for me the actual verbiage from that document?

[Pontiac]

Just to be sure that Mr. Holder and his people understand.

Because of the words in the 5th Amendment the Federal government can not Execute a US citizen with out first receiving an indictment from a Grand Jury; that means you have to have evidence that a crime has been committed and that evidence must be convincing to a Grand Jury. After receiving the indictment from the Grand Jury this person must be tried and be found guilty. If you don’t follow this process at a minimum you can not legally execute a US citizen.

To be perfectly frank, Mr. Holder, if a US citizen has been executed under your authorization outside of this process you could be found guilty of, at a minimum, of conspiracy to commit murder. As lawyer you should know this.

[Pontiac]

Someone cite for me the actual verbiage from that document?

NO such verbiage exist.

The only words in the Constitution that could if mangled by congressional legislation to authorize such action would be;

Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb ; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Even if the congress were to pass legislation to permit such extra judicial killing the person being killed would have to be a member of the armed forces or militia. Which to the best of my knowledge non of the citizens executed by Obama’s administration have been.

Presently any member of the armed forces still is entitled to judicial process under The Uniform Code of Military Justice. Congress has the power to alter the USMJ to permit summary execution if they want. It has been legal in the past aboard ship at sea.

[Domangart]

You missed the point entirely. We always have been able to kill a felon who you suspect will kill again. It is the others near him that Zero has been killing. Here we have people who review the action taken. King Lyndon Zero has no one’’’YET. The left is attempting to take him on but will end in bitter recriminations.

[jmacusa]

If you want to see what the government has in store if/when our economy collapses which is pretty much beginning to happen now. Heck, we're living on borrowed money as it is. Google Rex 84. You have to see this to believe it. Gives a whole new light on all anti- the Second Amendment stuff. It came about during Reagan's tenure . Lt. Colonel Oliver North wrote it.