Al qaeda is essentially a military organization. They ran military training camps in Afghanistan that trained tens of thousands of foot soldiers. The fact that they don't wear uniforms doesn't change that.
The Awlaki case is no different than the following case:
An American-born communist named Al Wachski travels to Southeast Asia in the early 1960s to support the Viet Cong.
He rises in stature to the point where he is leading a cell of Viet Cong communists. He bases himself in Cambodia not far from the Vietnamese border, where he focuses on teaching the Viet Cong the principles of communism and travels from VC camp to VC camp to teach and encourage them in the struggle.
He is involved in planning and exhorting VC foot soldiers to carry out attacks against South Vietnamese and American military personnel. His unit focuses especially on penetrating into Saigon and exploding bombs in crowded civilian marketplaces.
1st Air Cav gets some actionable intelligence on a VC camp where Al Wachski is heading to in Cambodia. They locate him, and a US helicopter strike kills Wachski and the team he is traveling with.
How is this different in any important respect from the al Awlaki situation?
Should they have NOT tried to kill Al Wachski, but instead issued a warrant for his arrest? Should he be tried in absentia in the regular court system back in the United States?
Nevertheless, I do think Zero should release an explanation of the legal reasoning they are using, without disclosing sources and methods.
I’m pretty amuse by all this “Al-Alwaki we hardly knew ye” crap. I’m pretty sure that when you go fight for the other side that our side has the right to kill you. I dislike O as much as anyone but gimme a break!
The legal reasoning about why they could whack a US citizen in a foreign country wouldn’t require the release of sources and methods. Discussing in detail why we knew the guy was scum might, but there is enough public record information that you could prove he was Al Quida and in their leadership as well as some of the actions he was responsible for.
I’m convinced he was scum and a threat but I’m worried about what’s going to escape that barn down the road.
The punishment for traitors is supposed to be execution.