[BITList] Only US citizens...Thats a relief.

[Robbo]

US Govt Can Kill Citizens Overseas as Part of
<http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/us-govt-can-kill-citizens-overse
as-as-part-of-%e2%80%98defined-policy%e2%80%99/>  'Defined Policy'


Director of National Intelligence Tells Congress Americans Can Be Killed

By Jason Ditz, February 03, 2010

In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee today, National
Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told representatives that American
citizens can be assassinated by the US government when they are oveseas.

Blair said the comments were intended to "reassure" Americans that there was
a
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR201002030
3968_pf.html>  "set of defined policy and legal procedures" in place and
that such assassinations are always carried out by the book.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R - MI) inquired about the procedures involved, asking
what the legal framework was under which Americans could be killed by the
intelligence community.

Blair insisted that under no circumstances would Americans be assassinated
overseas for criticizing the government, adding "we
<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/license-kill-intelligence-chief-us-american-
terrorist/story?id=9740491>  don't target people for free speech." Rather
they are subject to assassination when the government decides they are a
threat and when they "get specific permission." Exactly who was giving that
permission was unclear.

The question has been increasingly important as the Obama Administration
attempts to help the Yemeni government assassinate
<http://news.antiwar.com/2010/02/03/2010/01/25/white-house-mulls-legality-of
-assassinating-us-born-cleric/>  Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born cleric who is
not accused of any crimes by the US government. The administration maintains
that secret evidence exists linking Awlaki to terrorism.

There seems to be a chilling lack of oversight in the procedure behind these
killings, however, Blair's assurances against politically motivated
assassinations aside. The US has killed Americans in overseas attacks
before, but only as "collateral damage." It has never admitted to explicitly
assassinating an American citizen before, though it seems that the policy is
in place and such killings are only a matter of time.

 

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