What are the Obama rules for killing American Citizens

vanity

[airedale]

The American government at the direction of the President targeted and killed an American citizen who was an unlawful combatant and a terrorist. This was a good thing in this case, but it also opened the barn door for the President deciding to kill an American citizen acting as prosecutor, judge, jury and in effect executioner without any judicial review or due process (especially interesting considering the President and his administrations instance on treating other terrorists as common criminals and giving them full due process and civilian trials== until that blew up and the Congress told them they couldn't bring them in to the US from Gitmo for a civilian trial)

Without rules and the force of the Constitution and law this power that Obama has used is open to all kinds of abuse as time goes on. Consider what the administration, Democratic members of Congress and the media have called members of the Tea Party: Terrorists, UN-American, Hostage Takers, Racists, Fascist and lots of other things. They have accused the Tea Party of violence and other illegal activities (all untrue). The same applies to people like Rush Limbaugh. What's to stop Obama from taking action against them? It might not be actually killing them rather interning them like Woodrow Wilson and FDR did. For you Democrats who read this remember you won't always hold the Presidency and the Republican who holds the office will now have apparently unlimited power to kill American citizens without due process.

The Obama administration has refused to give it's legal reasoning and justification on how this action complies with US law and the US Constitution. It's also notable that the MSM that would be screaming if a George Bush had done this and they'd even become more incensed if he refused to release the legal justification for the actions, but this is a Democrat and a god to the MSM so they'll blindly accept it.

[Venturer]

I doubt he knew about it at all until told later.

[Rockingham]

One cannot travel overseas to a theater of military operations, consort with terrorists and enemies of the US, and openly advocate and facilitate terrorism against the US — but then expect that American citizenship offers some sort of legal protection against attack.

[Chode]

Anwar al-Awlaki came to study in the US, he came on a foreign student visa. You see, even though al-Awlaki was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, his parents were not American citizens. In fact, after his father completed his studies here, the family returned to Yemen. Anwar would not even be considered a 14th Amendment citizen, which states "All person born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Anwar's parents were never US citizens, nor did they intend to become citizens; neither did his parents have "a permanent domicile and residence in the United States,"  which is the standard according to the Supreme court decision in United States vs Wong Kim Ark.

According to the State Department, there are different rules, and, since al-Awlaki came to the US on a scholarship from Yemen, we can assume that he renounced his US citizenship, because Yemen does not recognize dual citizenship. Furthermore, his father was the Agriculture Minister in Yemen. Otherwise, why would al-Awlaki have come on a foreign student visa to study in Colorado in 1991?

[Roklok]

Hey, all it takes is a memo!

[depressed in 06]

Tea Party membership.

[Psalm 73]

"What are the Obama rules for killing American Citizens?"

Up until last week, it was only during an American's 1st nine months in the womb....

[airedale]

He was born here and is an American citizen just like any other child born here regardless of the nationality of the parents (diplomatic personnel). No you can’t assume he renounced his American citizenship. There are specific rules about that.http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_776.html You got proof that he did those things? The different rules link your post also makes the point that he’s a US citizen by birth. It’s in the section Citizenship by being Born in the United States.

As for the Wong Kim Ark case I’ll bet there are many superseding cases. That case was decided in a period where we were trying to exclude all Chinese from becoming citizens and severely limited their rights in ways that no current court would or should. The court also in this case held he was in fact a citizen of the United States and couldn’t be kept out (last paragraph).

Why did he come as a foreign student. Fox’s answer in their broadcast was that he wanted the full scholarship that was being provided to foreign students. If he was a US citizen he wouldn’t have been eligible. Basically he committed fraud to get the scholarship.

His farther was not a diplomat when the child was born so the diplomatic exclusion would not apply.

[CynicalBear]

I guess you didn’t hear that there where two Amercans killed.

[BfloGuy]

We need to understand the legal underpinnings of the action against an American citizen even if he’s scum.

Thank you. The general attitude here has been what it was for years about police abuses -- if you don't do anything wrong, you won't get in trouble.

As we've seen more and more, even innocent people are being run over by the police now. There's no reason to think we're immune from the federal government either just because we consider ourselves loyal.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I don’t consider them as Americans so it doesn’t bother me. They are both terrorists who have drawn a bead on Americans.

[airedale]

I’d agree with you that he’s a traitor, but the US Constitution has a specific definition of that crime and it has to be shown in court per the Constitution. It’s the only crime defined in the Constitution. The President doesn’t get to declare someone a traitor and kill them no matter how much they might deserve it.

[CynicalBear]

>> American citizens who fight for the enemy in wartime<<

The laws of war right?

[airedale]

I’d agree with you that he’s a traitor, but the US Constitution has a specific definition of that crime and it has to be shown in court per the Constitution. It’s the only crime defined in the Constitution. The President doesn’t get to declare someone a traitor and kill them no matter how much they might deserve it.

You got proof he voluntarily relinquished his US Citizenship. There are specific rules and laws the cover that http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_776.html

[airedale]

That’s the part that has me very worried when you have someone in the Presidency like Obama, Nixon, Wilson, LBJ, or FDR. I probably missed a couple who really abused power but it makes my point. Even if Obama weren’t a threat to our liberties the next President or the one after that one might be.

With the bankruptcy and federal seizure of GM and Chrysler and the subsequent trashing of the bankruptcy laws to rape the senior debit holders in favor of the unions who support him and his party it’s already been shown that this man doesn’t feel bound by laws or morality. There are other examples which I’m sure we’re all aware of.

[bfree]

He’s fighting a war against the USA , no trial necessary. He was an enemy. Don’t give me crap about his “rights”. He gave those up fighting against the country. Glad they are dead.

[leprechaun9]

Could this action be a precursor of eliminating the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List?

[CynicalBear]

>>I don’t consider them as Americans so it doesn’t bother me.<<

First they came for the Jews, but I wasn’t a Jew.

[airedale]

Historically you’re right but that’s not spelled out in the Constitution. Our laws allow for capital punishment for treason. The one thing your missing is that the execution requires a trial and due process per our constitution. It wouldn’t be required if you want to toss out the constitution, but there are real problems if you do that. You might be next because The One doesn’t like the name Jeremiah

[airedale]

Historically you’re right but that’s not spelled out in the Constitution. Our laws allow for capital punishment for treason. The one thing your missing is that the execution requires a trial and due process per our constitution. It wouldn’t be required if you want to toss out the constitution, but there are real problems if you do that. You might be next because The One doesn’t like the name Jeremiah. If you want to toss out the rule of law for the rule of men anything becomes legal or illegal if those in power want it to be.

[little jeremiah]

If a US citizen joins the military whether "official with unirorms" or not, as an enemy, then the Constitutional protections no long apply. As said above by Rockingham:

One cannot travel overseas to a theater of military operations, consort with terrorists and enemies of the US, and openly advocate and facilitate terrorism against the US — but then expect that American citizenship offers some sort of legal protection against attack.