The Obama Administration used drones to kill three American citizens located in Yemen, including a 16-year-old boy. No trial. Not even judicial review. The Obama Justice Department has given intelligence committee members in the House and Senate access to a long-classified legal justification for killing Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen identified with al-Qaeda in Yemen. The move this week followed a white paper being leaked to a reporter that says civil rights can be ignored if there's an "imminent threat" of terrorism against the US. But Constitutional scholars and others see twisted logic, the redefinition of language—and a stunning overreach of the President's powers. What constitutes an "imminent threat?" Who makes the decision? What does the CIA have to do with it?
The Targeted Killing of US Citizens
Credits
Guests:
- Michael Isikoff - Yahoo News - @Isikoff
- Greg Miller - Washington Post - @gregpmiller
- Hina Shamsi - American Civil Liberties Union - @hinashamsi
- Michael Leiter - NBC News
- Ben Emmerson - UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights