Herman Cain in May: Don't Kill Anwar al-Awlaki (Get out the Popcorn)

The Atlantic ^ | October 3, 2011 | Chris Good

[Captain Kirk]

The killing on Friday of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen described as a powerful al-Qaeda terrorist, has stirred considerable debate about whether it's appropriate for a president to order an American assassinated.

Evidently, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain shares those concerns.

The above video was recorded just after the first nationally televised GOP presidential debate of the 2012 campaign cycle, held in Greenville South Carolina on May 5 of this year, according to its YouTube page.

"He should be charged. And since he's an American citizen, he should be tried in our courts," Cain said of al-Awlaki. When asked if he considered it legal for President Obama to order al-Awlaki killed, Cain said, "In his case, no, because he's an American citizen."

It has been known since early 2010 that the CIA and the U.S. military's special-operations division maintain kill lists with three to four Americans on them. Al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric, was on the list. He was reportedly killed in Yemen on Friday in a U.S. drone and jet strike. A classified Department of Justice memo authorized the killing, The Washington Post reported.

[Brilliant]

I am surprised that Reid and Pelosi are not calling for Obamas impeachment given the criticism they leveled at Bush just for ordering wiretaps of foreigners. Someone should explain why its not unconstitutional for the president to order the death of an American citizen without any due process at all.

[kenmcg]

The POS should rot in hell. What should we do arrest these pukes, advise them of their right to an attorney, and pay for their legal bills? There is a war going on and Al Awaki won't be killing any more Americans. It does illustrate the hypocrisy of Obama and Holder. They can send drones all over the world to kill whoever they want, while at the same time they want to prosecute CIA & FBI agents for enhanced interrogation. What BS!!

[justsaynomore]

I agree with Cain. If we go down this slippery slope of saying government can assasinate any citizen, without due process, what’s to stop a nefarious government from targeting tea partiers?

[douginthearmy]

There are a few issues here. The root of the issue is that because the leftists have so demonized Guantanimo we now must take the more extreme act of killing rather than capturing. In the sick twisted mind of the liberal it is much better to kill a man with a missile than to pour water over his face. Secondly, we don't need to arrest and try all people. If a criminal holds people hostage, we can shoot him. We don't say, well we'd rather let him kill all those hostages than risk not taking him to court, that's just nuts. These terrorists were actively killing US soldiers (perhaps not directly but through their actions). There is no need to let them continue to kill soldiers while we try to figure out how to safely arrest them just because they are American.

There could be a court and I would support one, but it would be a political minefield. Terrorists are essentially insurrectionists. I can envision the government presenting a case to the court with an invitation of said insurrectionist to turn themselves in for trial. The court could issue a warrant of sorts.

[jgge]

Man, that is some mighty flip flop in a matter of months.

[Retired Greyhound]

Not once he becomes an enemy combatant.

Is that really the standard we want?

What is to keep Obama from declaring the Tea Party "enemy combatants"?

[McGruff]

Paul, Romney, Santorum, Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Christie

Run Sarah, Run. Please!

[anchorclankor]

You either believe in the constitution or you don’t, cut and dried, when you take an oath to defend the constitution except for ? your on a very slippery slope.

[justsaynomore]

We have a government right now, that sees the tea party as the enemies. That saw WACO as enemies. Do you not see where this kind of thinking leads?

Let’s stick to the Constitution, shall we?

[Wilderness Conservative]

Cain forgets how many rocks we had to look under to find Awlaki.

[MNJohnnie]

You seriously think that the President of the USA should be allowed to order the extra-judicial murder of US Citizens?

Don't let your mindless adoration for Perry cause you to act with such reckless abandonment of all contact with rationality.

[Donnafrflorida]

This is a tough one.
I tend to lean on the side of k.ll all the SOBs and sort them out later.
it is a slippery slope.
I don’t know the law on this one.

[Donnafrflorida]

This is a tough one.
I tend to lean on the side of k.ll all the SOBs and sort them out later.
it is a slippery slope.
I don’t know the law on this one.

[MNJohnnie]

You seriously think that the President of the USA should be allowed to order the extra-judicial murder of US Citizens?

Don't let your mindless adoration for Perry cause you to act with such reckless abandonment of all contact with rationality.

[MNJohnnie]

You seriously think that the President of the USA should be allowed to order the extra-judicial murder of US Citizens?

[Paradox]

I have read that by joining the group he did, he effectively renounced his American Citizenship. One needn’t say “I revoke my American Citizenship” to do so, the mere act of joining a foreign military/terror campaign against the US effectively terminates your citizenship and all rights thereof.

[sklar]

What we need are more Herman Cains and less “elected to office before” types.

I agree. Also the military needs to lighten up and let more weekend paintball players into the army, instead of all those boring "graduated from boot camp" types.

[justsaynomore]

FWIW - Herman Cain was 100% FOR the taking out of Bin Laden.

He is not soft on terror. But this guy was a US citizen, unfortunately. Conservatives will fall on both sides of this issue.

[MNJohnnie]

I don’t know where you read that but it is a total myth. He did not renounce his US Citizenship simply by joining Al Qeda.

[MileHi]

Sorry to say Freepers but every American citizen, no matter how horrible they are, has the right to due process.

SCOTUS addressed this during WWII. They disagree with you.