Posted on 05/08/2014 1:59:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Harvard Law School scholar David Barron is an Obama administration nominee for a federal appeals court. He is also the author of government memos that make legal justifications for killing U.S. citizens overseas with drone strikes, which is why his selection to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals has been delayed.
The White House has agreed to allow lawmakers to review at least one of the drone memos after U.S. senators and the the American Civil Liberties Union expressed concerns, technology website Ars Technica reported Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Was it a paper or a job application?
On 9/12 Congress authorized the President to use military force to attack those who committed 9/11 and to prevent future attacks. No mention in the document of a need to enquire into the citizenship status of legitimate targets.
Indeed, I know of no “Authorization to Use Force” or Declaration of War in US history that required such an enquiry. If someone has an example of such, I’d be glad to see it.
Also, why is using a drone to attack US enemies any different morally or legally from using a Seal team, a B-52 or a cruise missile?
Confirmation 88-11 probably
Barron is being attacked by groups on the left, because, when he was with the DOJ, he wrote a legal opinion supporting drone strikes and another legal opinion that it would be unconstitutional for the District of Columbia to have voting representation in Congress. He is also being attacked by groups on the right as being a “living Constitution” type. So this will be an interesting confirmation battle to watch.
Neither. He was then in the Office of Legal Counsel, a division of the DOJ that gives legal advice to the President, and wrote a formal legal opinion that the drone strikes were legal.
If it were Bush assassinating US citizens instead of Obama the left would have been apoplectic over it months ago.
It is the left (and particularly the ACLU) attacking Barron on this issue, although I won't be surprised if Rand Paul piles on. There is conservative opposition to Barron as well, but it focuses on abortion and gay marriage.
Drone strikes “overseas” are one thing and strikes on our soil is entirely another.
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