Posted by Phil Giraldi on 02/04/10 8:45 PM   [Newer: Socialized Garbage] [Older: Taking Out the CIA]

I was shocked by yesterday's House Intelligence Committee comments by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and am astonished that his statement is not the featured front page item in every news medium today.  Blair said  that US citizens abroad might be killed by CIA or the Defense Department if they are "taking action that threatens Americans."  He added that in so doing the government would "follow a set of defined policy and legal procedures that are very carefully observed" and described the policy as designed to "protect most of the country." 

Well, I guess it's just tough luck if you're not one of the "most" while a "defined policy" being overseen by a Washington bureaucrat whose mission is to kill terrorists might reassure some. One recalls, however, that Washington officials approved waterboarding, secret prisons, and extraordinary rendition.  I must admit to having a problem with extrajudicial killing unless someone is absolutely caught in flagrante in a murderous act because, as a former intelligence officer, I know full well how bad intelligence can be.  Would we be killing someone without any due process just because someone else bearing a grudge manages to plant some false info, as has occurred all too often in Afghanistan?  If it is true that something like 19 civilians die in drone strikes for every bad guy we manage to get, there is something seriously wrong with the intelligence and about the system in general. 

And who makes the judgment of what constitutes something that "threatens Americans"?  Blair went on to explain that being targeted might be based on being "involved in a group that is trying to attack us."  Involved?  What does that mean?  That would seem to be a First Amendment issue to me.  If I send $5 to an apparent charity that turns out to be a part of Hezbollah can I expect a black helicopter overhead in minutes?  The Blair comment is particularly scary in that it is a complete denial of the rights guaranteed to US citizens, including the right to a fair trial.   It is also an admission that the White House sees such targeted killings as perfectly acceptable.  I would add that no one on the Intelligence Committee protested much either.  When a government is selectively targeting and killing its own citizens isn't it a sign that something is very, very wrong? -Phil Giraldi, American Conservative Defense Alliance

Posted 02/04/10 9:37 PM Mike in Virginia Fredericksburg, VA

This policy came out a few days ago and was featured in an article or a blog on LRC. In effect, the President of the United States claims authority to assassinate American citizens without a trial or any semblance of due process. Sure, right now the policy includes only American citizens who are abroad. But how long before it includes Americans here? And when that happens, won't it be a baby step to gas chambers for all those who dissent or are otherwise deemed to be undesirable? This is truly scary stuff.

Posted 02/05/10 08:43 AM BruceKoerber Cedar Rapids, IA

http://educationandethics.blogspot.com/ Friday, February 5, 2010 Divine Economy Theory Solves The 'Moral Authority' Dilemma. When those with no moral authority take action the end result is injustice. When those with no moral authority have power there are two possible outcomes: chaos and a power struggle or totalitarianism. As long as those with no moral authority are in control the cycle of either chaos and a power struggle or totalitarianism will continue. This is the problem. The solution is the recognition by humanity that there is no moral authority for any human intervention in the economy. That is the essence of the divine economy theory. Logically then, the divine economy theory is the solution to the quagmire of problems confronting humankind. The divine economy theory unequivocally proves that there is no moral authority for any ego-driven intervention or any ego-driven interpretaion.

Posted 02/05/10 08:57 AM Glenn Cumming, GA

Thanks for the post, Phil. Pre-emptive war becomes pre-emptive murder. Nevermind that it is the U.S. that is doing all the attacking. I wonder if this has something to do with putting fear into journalists that are revealing the truth about the U.S., especially regarding Gitmo, etc. From Russia, with love, Josef Stalin

Posted 02/05/10 09:17 AM MichaelBarry Sebring, FL

Is there any moral difference between killing Americans overseas with clandestine operations and killing them at home with rationed healthcare?

Posted 02/05/10 09:28 AM MN Stix Waite Park, MN

A simple indicator of what is really going on in this country. They claim you may be murdered by order of the white house in a foreign country. What this really says is "we reserve the right to murder anyone, anywhere, anytime so long as we decide you are doing something wrong." This is just another disgusting display of the evil that exists in Washington. I know it is worn out now, but, Even Hitler would be blushing at this.

Posted 02/05/10 11:18 AM MikeKlamecki Elkhart Lake, WI

At least someone is, and has been covering this: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/02/04/assassinatio ns/index.html

Posted 02/05/10 1:47 PM Ike Hall Clarkston, GA

The question is, under what Constitutional rubric was this program hatched? Clearly, the U.S. Government believes it can target people outside its geographical jurisdiction. Does the U.S. Government consider its relations with other nations to be anarchic unless otherwise stated?

Posted 02/08/10 5:45 PM Sally Oh Escazú, Costa Rica

I live in Costa Rica with my family. I blog, my husband blogs, we are C4L, Ron Paul, Liberty, Constitutionalist libertarians. MIAC would have us classified as right wing insubordinates immediately... am I in danger here? Ok, I know I'm not. Yet. The US murders suspects all the time - the headlines read "suspected terrorists killed by US forces in _____ (pick one of five countries where we are currently murdering people, many by unmanned drone attacks). The US government is already murdering foreigners, er, people living in other countries who are not US citizens. Coming after expats is the logical next step. You living inside the borders are next, no question.