61–70 of 96 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm certain that the US government is able to easily track someone traveling on their own legitimate passport. So that kind of ruse makes no sense. It's sort of a shame he didn't travel to the EU, as I suspect he'd get better support from most countries and would be able to travel in the EU without a passport.
This guy is former CIA...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
not sure how it works in the US, but my understanding of a pardon is that you have to be trialed and convicted first, you can't be pardoned in blanco.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford#Pardon_of_Nixon
ridiculous petitions aside, too bad he doesn't have any reason to pardon him - it's his last office anyway and the poor dude already put all his cards on the table.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm certain that the US government is able to easily track someone traveling on their own legitimate passport. So that kind of ruse makes no sense. It's sort of a shame he didn't travel to the EU, as I suspect he'd get better support from most countries and would be able to travel in the EU without a passport.
This guy is former CIA...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford#Pardon_of_Nixon
oh wow. ridiculous petitions aside, too bad he doesn't have any reason to pardon him - it's his last office anyway and the poor dude already put all his cards on the table.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This guy is former CIA...
He worked as a "technical assistant" for the CIA. He probably picked up a few tricks during his tenure but he didn't go through the clandestine service trainee program, which are the people you're thinking of when you think of spooky CIA types.
Not that I disbelieve on this count, but who was doing just what in the CIA seems like something we don't tend to know with certainty.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anwar al-Awlaki may have been a terrorist or he may not have been, however he wasn't tried in a court of law so he wasn't guilty of anything. The above statement looks very awkward but we shouldn't advocate extra-judicial killings.
On the other hand, America would have shown no regard for the citizenship of the enemy in the equivalent situation of a German-American serving in the Nazi armies. Congress has told the President to use military force to eradicate Al Qaeda, al-Awlaki was in AQ, so even that isn't what you make it seem.
You think this is OK, because your Congress has given the president authority to kill anyone who (according to whoever is holding the trigger) is involved in that organisation.
Fuck you.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
On the other hand, America would have shown no regard for the citizenship of the enemy in the equivalent situation of a German-American serving in the Nazi armies. Congress has told the President to use military force to eradicate Al Qaeda, al-Awlaki was in AQ, so even that isn't what you make it seem.
I am a guy in a 3rd world country. Your government could assassinate me tomorrow, and then simply say that I was in Al Qaeda. They have proof of this, but of course they can't reveal that information for reasons of "National Security". You think this is OK, because your Congress has given the president authority to kill anyone who (according to whoever is holding the trigger) is involved in that organisation. Fuck yo…
So my government would have to, at the very least, demonstrate that you actually play some operational role within AQ where a targeted killing of you would appreciably impair the military capacity of AQ.
This was the logic used by the U.S. to send what was essentially a kill mission against the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during WWII, but it probably helped end that war faster so people don't seem to complain as much about that one, for some reason.
But either way, if you're a non-U.S. citizen in a 3rd world country then for whatever reason you're not someone that our civil libertarians in the U.S. care about, as they only care about the extrajudicial killing of American citizens.
I'm assuming when you say that they have proof that you are implying that the government is pretending they have proof but won't show it. If you're actually in AQ and involved in the violent death and destruction of Muslims, Americans, civilians and our allies throughout the world then I can't honestly say that I'd feel too sorry for you...