Nonsense on Al Awlaki
Nonsense on Al Awlaki
by H. THOMAS HAYDEN on OCTOBER 3, 2011
After several days of surveillance on Mr. Anwar Al Awlaki, armed drones took off from a base in the Arabian Peninsula, flew into northern Yemen and fired Hellfire missiles at a car carrying Al Awlaki and possibly other members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQIAP) It is reported that this attack may include another American who had run the Al Qaeda English-language Internet magazine.
The search for Mr. Awlaki, the American-born Islamic cleric, was initiated because he was a criminal figure in the Global World on Terrorism.
So what is this nonsense with a debate in Washington about the legality, and morality of killing an American citizen?
Left wing civil libertarians and Muslim-American advocates questioned how the U.S. could kill an American citizen without a trial. It has been said that killing him amounted to summary execution without the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution.
American law states that any group that is at war with the US should cause a man to lose his citizenship if he joined a foreign military group let alone committed a terrorist act
The Law states:
“Loss of citizenship (INA § 349, 8 USC § 1481) Section 349 of the INA [8 USC § 1481] specifies several conditions under which US citizenship may be lost. These include: becoming a naturalized citizen of another country, or declaring allegiance to another country, after reaching age 18; serving as an officer in a foreign country’s military service, or serving in the armed forces of a country which is engaged in hostilities against the US; working for a foreign government (e.g., in political office or as a civil servant); formally renouncing one’s US citizenship before duly authorized US officials; or committing treason against, or attempting or conspiring to overthrow the government of, the US.”
Executive Order #12333, prohibiting assassinations, was lifted by President G. W. Bush following 9/11 with the overwhelming approval of Congress. Bush also signed an executive order allowing for the killing of “identified” terrorists wherever and whenever they are located. In the case of Yemen Al Awlaki was killed with the prior authorization of the Yemeni government to strike AQ on their turf.
Additionally, the Supreme Court made its views clear in the 1942 Ex Parte Quirin case dealing with Nazi saboteurs: “Citizenship in the United States of an enemy belligerent does not relieve him from the consequences of belligerency.”
Only the uninformed or sensationalism mongers try to obfuscate the real issues.