US Army Major Nidal Hasan used the spiritual urgings of Anwar al-Awlaki as justification for his homicidal attack at Fort Hood almost two years ago. Hasan’s court martial is ongoing.
Awlaki’s trials are over:
A U.S. official confirmed that Mr. Awlaki was killed Friday, although U.S. officials wouldn’t specify exactly how the American-born cleric was killed.
“It’s been confirmed that [al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's] chief of external operations, Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed today in Yemen,” said the U.S. official.
The official added that counterterrorism cooperations with the Yemeni government have been strong despite the turmoil there.
“His death takes a committed terrorist, intent on attacking the United States, off the battlefield,” the official said. “Awlaki and AQAP are also responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Yemen and throughout the region, which have killed scores of Muslims.”
Yemeni government officials say that at least four people were killed in the counterterrorism operation, including two Americans. In addition to Mr. Awlaki, Samir Khan was also killed, they said. Mr. Khan ran an anti-American web site from his home in Charlotte, N.C., before leaving the U.S. for Yemen several months ago. Intelligence officials believe Mr. Khan was one of the editors and illustrators for AQAP’s online website called Inspire.
Root and branch.
And the usual squeaky wheels, including Ron Paul, are outraged that he didn’t get a trial.
The “Old West” comes to mind……remember Wanted,Dead Or Alive?
These two forfeited their protections of citizenship when they took up arms against the very Constitution that affirmed those protections.
Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger more recently. Some people just need killing, and Awlaki was on that list.
I must say I am bothered that he was a US Citizen, and we unfriended him with a Hellfire, but he allowed nothing else since he did not appear at our embassy and surrender. That’s the way you treat public enemy number 1.
Somtimes a drone’s gotta do what a drone’s gotta do.
“Somtimes a drone’s gotta do what a drone’s gotta do.”
Don’t bother to run, you’ll just die tired.
The guy richly deserved it, and I think we can all be happy about his end.
On the other hand, the Constitutional issues are serious. If you can just dismiss the Constitution whenever someone “deserves it” then really what’s the point? Might as well shred it now.
And think of this: now we’ve got the precedent of assassinating US citizens without even bringing charges, much less presenting evidence, getting a warrant or a trial in absentia. Basically just a hit ordered by the President. How are future Presidents going to use that power? Looking at some of the people that are running, from both parties, that scares the hell out of me. It should scare the hell out of you too, if you’ve got any imagination at all.
Not at all. The whole point of the Constitution is that it is the social contract. If you aren’t willing to pay for the service you don’t get the service. Al-Awlaki forfeited his citizenship as an matter of law when he went to go fight for Al Queda.
Jeff,
While it’s pretty clearly true that he rejected that social contract it’s still troubling that the government didn’t bother to make the case, or even make a nod at due process. They didn’t bring evidence, have a hearing, revoke his citizenship, issue a warrant, nothing. They just killed him.
If all it takes to kill a citizen is executive say-so, then what’s the difference between our executive and any tinpot strongman with an army? I guess ours has a smaller throne of skulls, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts growing.
Granted the lines between enemy, bystander, and citizen have become blurry over the last decade or two. But the government still needs to provide the best attempt at due process they can. The Guatanamo detainees at least got a military tribunal.
I’ll admit I’d feel better if we had some formal mechanism by which citizenship could be revoked. The fact is that we don’t have such a system, and this guy
iswas a direct threat to our rights. I’m going to go for eliminating the direct threat over the indirect threat.Jeff, I don’t have to like it, but do have to agree.
Being a man means doing necessary things whether you like them or not. I don’t think the founders would have any trouble with killing Awlaki as we did. I doubt they’d like it either.
American born; threatening American lives; encouraging others to do the same……sounds like Obamma’s buddy Bill Ayers.
I quote an American indian chief, speaking in the classic ‘Son Of The Morning Star’:
“He was a bad man, and women and children sleep better knowing he is dead.”
Mike
Lets not get too excited. As John Bolton reminded us this am on Fox , when Lenin died most anti-Communists probably thought “Great! The main guy is gone–and who is this no-reputation little-known administrative secretary/geek named Stalin who is replacing him? It’s gonna be all down-hill for totalitarian communism from here on out.”
Sometimes the unk replacement is worse…FAR worse..
How long did Stalin live after Lenin died? Compare that to how long the average lifetime of the top 3 or 4 people in Al-Queda have been once they have ascended to that status.
Touche, RonF. But the old SU DID have a better AD system. Don’t think we could hardly have loitered day after day tracking Uncle Joe waiting to put a hell-fire thru his Kremlin ofc window once he turned on the lights even if we HAD had UAVs back then, lol.
Here’s the JAWA Report-btw it was personal with the Blogger and
Khan…
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/209597.php
I’ll belabor the obvious: it’s interesting that the very same people who ranted and raved at the thought of Bush’s military commissions and warrant-less wire taps have nothing to say about this assassination. Me, I’m thrilled he’s dead, I hope he suffered. I would just like to hear the lefties say something like they would have if Bush had ordered it.
Slightly related – This morning I noticed a new ad on the train ride in to work. It seems there is a new drama series on one of the cable networks. “Homeland”, staring Claire Danes and some guys I never heard of. To wit:
“Centers on Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody, who returns home eight years after going missing in Iraq, and Carrie Anderson, a driven (and possibly unstable) CIA officer who suspects he might be plotting an attack on America.”
That’s right, the bad guy is a US Marine named Brody. Not an Awlaki or Hasan, or a Lind-Walker.
Don’t get me started on that latest abomination (“Homeland”) Daryle! I’ve seen the tv promos and it’s ALL that one might fear it would be. SO typical–just REEKS of PC anti-military/war BS. Sickening in the extreme mainly because it’s so inferentially subtle–slick production values masking true intent of series–no blatant, obvious ham-fisted propaganda…don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach even a single episode just to check it out..
Excellent points. ‘Homeland’ is insulting to the USMC and all enlisted who serve/ed honorably.
The Sgt. Brody character is no doubt based on wishful-thinking by sick liberal minds and a composite of actual convicted American terrorists like Daniel Patrick Boyd, son of the late Thornton Boyd, Captain – U.S. Marine Corps. Daniel had trained with the mujahideen and fought against the Soviet-backed forces in Afghanistan. Was he working with the CIA?
In February, Daniel Boyd pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder, maiming and kidnaping overseas.
You know what will be the best thing about that series, though? People won’t watch it. And it won’t get picked up. And the people in charge of picking and choosing what movies and TV shows to make and distribute STILL won’t have a clue as to why such things fail.
Will the Park51 (aka: Cordoba House) mosque reciprocate the goodwill of its host government, or avail its host’s shortsightness by mermorializing al-Aulaqi and his ilk?
Their vile names may be enshrined in private areas reserved for the devout, and books recounting their “heroic” jihads may be sold at kiosks at the reception area. Why can we expect these provocations? Because those behind the Ground Zero mosque have already proven what liars they can be and they deny such speculations are true, for now.
“U.S. officials wouldn’t specify exactly how the American-born cleric was killed.”
Correct answer is “Thoroughly.”
As to the ‘legality’ of his killing; enemy combatant on a battlefield = fair game regardless of his original citizenship. But if it will make Ron Paul happier, we can try his corpse for treason.
So, lemme get this straight….
We can whack Al-Waliki for INSPIRING Fort Hood, but have yet to put on trial and execute the Radical Islamic Terrorist who actually PERPETRATED Fort Hood?
Yeah, you saw that too? Rather a perverse incentive, isn’t it? American citizen-terrorists are safer here at home than overseas.
Try Hassan, convict him, weave a pigskin noose. Then build a gallows in the largest drill field, drop zone or landing zone on Ft. Hood. Hold a division review for the 1st Cav and every associated command at Hood. Hang his ass, Post the body in a on a wooden platform for the buzzards. After a month, bury the remains in a pigskin bag among the dead prisoners at Levenworth.
+a bunch!
Division parade to witness punishment is a time honored tradition that should be revived. Particularly in Hasan’s case.
I’d display the corpse in chains with a webcam on him to remind the “martyrs” what happens when you cross us.
We also need a declaration of war and quit pussy footing around the issue.
Why are we discussing constitutionality? The POTUS was a constututional scholar, right?
He was indeed. Which article allows him to take most of my earnings and give them to the unions?
“Scholar” means he studied it… it doesn’t guarantee he learned anything from it.
You can’t turn coat, move overseas and join our enemies, then just throw up your hands during the ensuing attack on your new digs and yell “Wait…I’m an American. You have to give me a trial.”
Sorry…..you don’t get to pick and choose which side you’re on based on your own personal safety. He became a target and not a citizen the minute he began not just supporting, but actually leading, enemies against his former country. I hope it wasn’t a quick death.
Kind of puts you in mind of the end-scen of that “Lethal Weapon” film where the South African diplomat breaks off the firefight he was engaging in, holds up his hands and while laughing shouts, “Dip-lo-mat-ic Imm-un-it-ty!”
Ended about the same. As it should.
OK, just so Hassan gets a fair shake like Alwalaki, let’s drop him off in the same area of Yemen, give him an hours head start, and hope he gets a real pain in the neck from looking over his shoulder.
Oh, I forgot he’s in a wheelchair…well, we could strap him into an ATV so’s to give him a sporting chance.
I’m not into sporting chances with Hasan. Plait the pigskin rope and hang him at a Divisional Parade. I think Aero has the right of it.
What comes around..