Posted on 10/03/2011 3:25:20 PM PDT by PerryBachmann2012
In early May, GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain said it would be illegal for the Obama administration to assassinate Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and suspected Yemeni terrorist known to be included on a "kill list" maintained by U.S. military and intelligence branches.
"In his case, no, because he's an American citizen," Cain said after a nationally televised presidential debate on May 5, when asked specifically about the Obama administration's targeting of al-Awlaki. "If he's an American citizen, which is the big difference, then he should be charged, and he should be arrested and brought to justice."
Several weeks later, in an interview with The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf, Cain said he hadn't heard of al-Awlaki or the administration's goal of killing a U.S. citizen. But Cain repeated that he opposed the idea: "I don't believe that the president of the United States should order the assassination of citizens of the United States. That's why we have our court system, and that's why we have our laws."
Yet after U.S. forces killed al-Awlaki on Friday in a joint drone and jet strike, Cain reportedly praised the assassination. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey reported on a panel discussion at a tea-party convention in Chicago on Sunday, where Cain appeared:
In a brief Q&A with our panel after his speech, Cain told the crowd that he fully supported Barack Obama's decision to strike Anwar al-Awlaki.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Nice try. Rick Perry called conservatives heartless.
He was for it before he was against it. Wait...
If Cain would bother to do some cursory research, he would know that Awlaki returned to the U.S to study on SCHOLARSHIPS that were FORBIDDEN to AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Now what part of renouncing American Citizenship does Mr. Cain NOT understand.
Yeah he popped out on American Soil. But he was NOT an American Citizen. PERIOD.
And I will tell the teaparty whatever they want to hear as I have no record to run on. And they will love me.
Oh wait, someone actually recorded my words?
hell ya’ll,anybody can brush up on foreign affairs once in office, just like Obama, Bush II, Clinton and all the rest... it’s-—the-—e-con-o-my-—stu-pid... sheesh!
I am not up-to-speed on the facts on the ground here, but was AA specifically targeted or, having gone to Yemen, was he watched to a situation in which he could become collateral damage?
The man was pretty dumb for leaving the safety of the good ole U.S.A. in the first place.
But if, having comitted the first dumb act, he goes to Yemen or some other place in the active zone and associates with those who are on, e.g., High-Value Target lists, don’t be surprised if the SUV is taken out with everyone in it.
I’m not sure what Cain is saying is inconsistent here. Should we hunt down American citizens in downtown Philly and hit them with ricin umbrellas? No.
If an American citizen goes to a known terrorist haven, for purposes of engaging in terrorist operations, and he gets turned to cosmic dust with all the other goons sitting around the campfire in the desert, is that a problem? No.
Since you mentioned flip flops...Rick Perry was for Gardasil for teenage girls before he was not so much for it.
Thread is not about Perry, but I can understand needing to talk about something else since there really is no good defense for Cain’s massive flip-flop here.
Having said that, when there is irrefutable evidence indicating that the man is an enemy combatant (and in this case, a leader of those enemies) who is actively waging war against us, who himself admits it openly...and if that evidence has been presented and gone through a legal judicial processs where perhaps a grand jury is convened and a warrant to that effect has been signed by a sitting federal judge based on that evidence...then I have no problem with it for such an individual with such clear and compelling evidence and real and present threat.
Common sense dictates we must in fact take down such enemies.
In the old west, people like Billy the Kid were "shot on sight" as a result of just that type of judicial process. They knew who he was, they knew what he had done, he took credit for it, and it led to a shoot on site order which was conducted by law enforcement at the time. WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE.
This individual should have been...and apparently was...on just such a list.
As the flip flopping politicians bloody each other, Ron Paul (who stuck to his guns on this issue and many others) will be the last man standing. Love it.
No one is more heartless than Ron Paul.
I prefer to have Obamacare REPEALED which Perry will make his FIRST OFFICIAL Act on entering the Oval Office.
THAT act alone will help start the American economic ENGINE.
And for the record he said people that do not want children educated are heartless.
By the Perry haters rules. Children of Slaves would NOT be allowed to receive an Education. Oh wait a minute that was the DUMOCRAT position during Reconstruction.
Watch them pile on Cain like they piled on Bachmann. They won’t stop until there is no conservative left in the race.
Cain has been meeting with experts in foreign policy since May, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he changed his mind on the matter, after having more details.
I support his flip-flop on this issue. He’s learning.
Bonnie and Clyde never faced a judge.
Learning? If Cain admitted that he flip flopped, I’m not aware of it. I suspect is that he’ll spin it by saying that he didn’t really change his mind at all.
B and C had shot down people in cold blood. Please provide evidence that this guy did the same.
Please provide a source for your slander that Ron Paul doesn’t want children educated.
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