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Obama, Assassin
Apr. 8th, 2010 03:48 pmMarc Lynch has some sensible comments on recent news items: Moving past the GWOT ain't easy. Amongst other things, he talks about this week's revelation (via intentional leak?) that the Obama administration has targeted a US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, for assassination.
I guess my take on this is that the national security state has been an excuse for bad executive branch behavior since at least the '60s, if not earlier, and I'm cynical about the prospects of putting the genie back in the bottle at this point. Who is going to contain the executive in this? Congress? The courts? Angry bloggers?
I've read that the Bush Jr administration was the first to claim the right to kill American citizens who have been designated terrorists. Was there any legal challenge to this finding? Have the courts ruled on it at all?
In short: What is to be done?
I guess my take on this is that the national security state has been an excuse for bad executive branch behavior since at least the '60s, if not earlier, and I'm cynical about the prospects of putting the genie back in the bottle at this point. Who is going to contain the executive in this? Congress? The courts? Angry bloggers?
I've read that the Bush Jr administration was the first to claim the right to kill American citizens who have been designated terrorists. Was there any legal challenge to this finding? Have the courts ruled on it at all?
In short: What is to be done?
