21st Century Wire says… Remember the gallant raid to catch, or erm, ‘kill’ Osama bin Laden? Surely the US machine has the resources to apprehend a US citizen believed to be involved in some al Qaeda terror plot? You’d think so. But the White House has decided instead to initiate shoot first ‘pre-crime’ proceedings, and discard any American values of a fair trial, or hearing any evidence – they prefer to do it all in secret – like the Stasi in East Germany because they deem themselves to be ‘above the law’. But the real reason for this is not to kill future terrorists, it’s to leave the door open to kill political targets overseas.
Just as Bush’s supporters did not protest against Guantanamo and the rest, Obama’s congregation are predictably silent over this horrifying story. They will not utter one word about it – ‘stay quiet, pretend it’s not happening’ is their strategy so far. So, we have proven here that it does not matter who is President, it’s the policies that count. Obama’s are arguably even colder and more calculated than Bush Jr’s were.
Greg Miller
Washington Post
Eleven senators sent a letter to President Obama on Monday demanding access to secret legal memos outlining the administration’s case for the targeted killing of U.S. citizens in counterterrorism operations overseas.
The letter from eight Democrats and three Republicans contained the most forceful warning to date that lawmakers were considering blocking Obama’s nominees to run the CIA and Pentagon unless the memos are turned over.
The message comes three days before White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan will face a confirmation hearing to become CIA director before the Senate intelligence committee. Former senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is awaiting a vote in the Senate Armed Services Committee following his hearing last week to become secretary of defense.
Cooperation with the request “will help avoid an unnecessary confrontation that could affect the Senate’s consideration of nominees for national security positions,”the letter said.
Three members of the intelligence panel signed the letter: Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
In an interview, Wyden accused the administration of stonewalling. “The idea that the president has this extraordinary power that can be utilized in secret without any oversight or accountability, I think is wrong and detrimental to the public interest,” he said.
He stopped short of threatening to place a hold on Brennan’s nomination — a procedural step to prevent a vote.
Other lawmakers who signed the letter included Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), the ranking Republican on that panel.
Some key lawmakers did not sign, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairman of the intelligence committee, who has indicated that she will support Brennan.
The request is the latest attempt to force the White House to turn over secret legal opinions that lay out the rationales for killing Americans accused of taking part in terrorism plots…
