Obama Has U.S. Citizen Executed; No Trial Held

[saxitoxin]

Media report Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen who had raised the ire of the Obama administration for podcasting and blogging against U.S. middle east policy, as well as the practices of the Chevron Corporation, was executed this morning by orders of Barack Obama.

Glenn Greenwald, a prominent civil liberties lawyer and commentator, said there had been no effort to indict Awlaki on any crimes and that there was “substantial doubt” about his involvement in any crimes.

“He was simply ordered killed by the president: his judge, jury and executioner,” Greenwald wrote on Salon.com.

“What’s most amazing is that its citizens will not merely refrain from objecting, but will stand and cheer the U.S. government’s new power to assassinate their fellow citizens, far from any battlefield, literally without a shred of due process,” he added.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2 ... 69507.html

What we know so far:
- Obama had previously ordered Awlaki's death; it is unclear under what legal authority he had issued his order to execute Awlaki.
- Awlaki was in Yemen at the time of his execution, which is not an area of active combat operations according to the U.S. itself.
- Awlaki was killed in a one-off air strike that did first involve an attempt at arrest or capture.
- A lawsuit had previously been filed by friends and family of Awlaki seeking a court injunction to stop Obama from having Awlaki executed without a trial.
- Some people had raised doubts whether his speeches and blog against U.S. policy in the Middle East and his criticism of the Chevron Corporation actually violated U.S. law as Obama's federal prosecutor claimed. No indictment had been sough by the prosecutor, however, who cited a lack of indictable evidence.

Awlaki had been charged with crimes by the police (an Obama appointee U.S. Attorney) but had not been arrested, arraigned or tried and no judicial participation was involved in his execution. He had not even been formally indicted by a court as it was unclear if sufficient evidence existed to indict him.

• Is it okay for the President to order executions of citizens? For instance, if George W. Bush wanted to eliminate his competition in the 2004 election, could he have just had a U.S. Attorney - his appointee - accuse John Kerry of terrorism and then had him shot? If someone is suspected of a crime but there's not enough evidence to convict him in a court - but he just seems really guilty to the President - is it okay for the police to take him out in a back alley and cut his throat? What if someone is critical of one of the President's campaign donors? Then is it okay to get rid of him?

[Night Strike]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

[saxitoxin]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason

Constitution of the United States | Article III, Section 3
No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

and/or renounced his citizenship.

United States Code | Title VIII, Section 1481
Citizenship shall be renounced only by making a formal renunciation of nationality before a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States in a foreign state

[Neoteny]

Lawl

[KernowWarrior]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

I thought the US was all about free speech.

[Night Strike]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

I thought the US was all about free speech.

It is, but he chose to go to a different country and recruit people to attack the citizens of his original country due to his political beliefs. That's the definition of an act of war.

[hippy burner]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

I thought the US was all about free speech.

It is, but he chose to go to a different country and recruit people to attack the citizens of his original country due to his political beliefs. That's the definition of an act of war.

Pray tell these attacks?

[saxitoxin]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

I thought the US was all about free speech.

It is, but he chose to go to a different country and recruit people to attack the citizens of his original country due to his political beliefs. That's the definition of an act of war.

• Mildred Elizabeth Gillars, nicknamed "Axis Sally" along with Rita Zucca, was an American broadcaster employed by Germany to proliferate propaganda during World War II. Gillars was indicted on September 10, 1948, and charged with 10 counts of treason but only eight were proceeded with at her trial which began on January 25, 1949. On March 10, 1949, the jury convicted Gillars[15] on just one count of treason, that of making the ‘Vision Of Invasion’ broadcast.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Gillars#Trial

[daddy1gringo]

If indeed there is not more to this story that you are leaving out, then I agree with you Saxi, that this act is intolerable, all of those involved should be brought up on charges, and steps should be taken that such a thing never happen again.

Otherwise, the US would become like China, Cuba, North Korea, and all of the countries that you hold up as utopias, where this sort of thing is not news, because it is the common practice, and the press is not allowed to criticize the government anyway.

[saxitoxin]

Dr. Ron Paul denounces no-trial execution of Anwar Alwaki, calls any American who supports it "sad" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md3-LaJfUL4

[Qwert]

Anwar Alwaki? are these person same like Adolf Eichmann?
Why i ask these question, well quite simple, israelis do everything to capture nazi war criminal ALIVE , and to put hem in trial in israel,instead to assasinate hem.
Why america not capture ,and then put in trial any who are enemy of US, where democraty gone?
And probably you dont know,27,september US and German soldier in Kosovo shot on unarmed serbian civilians and wounded 6.These is good way to get more and more enemies.
More and more,us democraty are slowly going down.

[saxitoxin]

Anwar Alwaki? are these person same like Adolf Eichmann?
Why i ask these question, well quite simple, israelis do everything to capture nazi war criminal ALIVE , and to put hem in trial in israel,instead to assasinate hem.
Why america not capture ,and then put in trial any who are enemy of US, where democraty gone?
And probably you dont know,27,september US and German soldier in Kosovo shot on unarmed serbian civilians and wounded 6.These is good way to get more and more enemies.
More and more,us democraty are slowly going down.

GREAT point about Eichmann, qwert!

Eichmann was convicted on 430,000 counts of murder. Alwaki was alleged to have made some threatening podcasts and blog posts. They were both hidden in a foreign country, neither of which was a war zone. Why was one arrested and given a fair trial and the other simply killed? It's pretty sad when even the Zionists have better constitutional protections than the US.

[Pirlo]

Awlaki was bloody extremist! He had issued a fatwa stating "you have the permission to kill any American with no need to verify, you do not need to make sure it's ok to kill the demon." though I'm not sure what kind of American he gave permissions to kill. (civilian/military... not sure).....

[CreepersWiener]

Can anyone please tell us who Alwaki recruited to attack America? It is probably true he had some anti-American sentiment and probably spoke freely about it. So did Rev. Wright...I don't see Obama bombing his house. I even think the first lady had some anti-American sentiment oozing out of her mouth from time-to-time. Perhaps the USA should drop a bunker buster on Target.

Why now? Why kill the guy now? Why didn't they kill the guy years ago?

The New Era of assassinating American citizens that practice their freedom to speak...If the government killed everyone that said, "America Sucks!" that would probably be about six billion people.

[CreepersWiener]

Awlaki was bloody extremist! He had issued a fatwa stating "you have the permission to kill any American with no need to verify, you do not need to make sure it's ok to kill the demon." though I'm not sure what kind of American he gave permissions to kill. (civilian/military... not sure).....

And you read this "fatwa" where? I suppose you are an expert at the Arabic language. Many things get mistranslated. The way one thing is meant in one language, sometimes does not translate well in another language. Let's just get that straight.

And if these words were indeed meant as they are stated, how different is that from many Americans I talk to just here at home? I have heard many Americans say things like "Let's just drop a Nuke on the whole Middle East" or "Let's just kill all the Muslims". Do not tell me that you haven't heard similar speech? Hell, you probably use that type of speech all the time in your Paranoid Christian Cult Circle.

[saxitoxin]

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT - Can Obama be indicted as an accessory to murder? I'm not fancy lawyer but I contend he can.

1 - Awlaki was from New Mexico which grants universal jurisdiction to their courts for the murder of their citizens.

2 - The New Mexico Criminal Code defines "Accessory" as -

• A person may be charged with and convicted of the crime as an accessory if he procures, counsels, aids or abets in its commission and although he did not directly commit the crime and although the principal who directly committed such crime has not been prosecuted or convicted, or has been convicted of a different crime or degree of crime, or has been acquitted, or is a child under the Children's Code [emphasis added by me] http://www.conwaygreene.com/nmsu/lpext. ... -h.htm&2.0

3 - The NMCC defines "Murder" as -

• Murder in the first degree is the killing of one human being by another without lawful justification or excuse, by any of the means with which death may be caused.http://www.conwaygreene.com/nmsu/lpext. ... -h.htm&2.0

4 - The NMCC itemizes the "lawful justification" for killing as -

• Homicide is justifiable when committed by any person in any of the following cases:
  
  A. when committed in the necessary defense of his life, his family or his property, or in necessarily defending against any unlawful action directed against himself, his wife or family;
  
  B. when committed in the lawful defense of himself or of another and when there is a reasonable ground to believe a design exists to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury against such person or another, and there is imminent danger that the design will be accomplished; or
  
  C. when necessarily committed in attempting, by lawful ways and means, to apprehend any person for any felony committed in his presence, or in lawfully suppressing any riot, or in necessarily and lawfully keeping and preserving the peace.
  
  Homicide is justifiable when committed by a public officer or public employee or those acting by their command and in their aid and assistance:
  
  (1) in obedience to any judgment of a competent court;
  
  (2) when necessarily committed in overcoming actual resistance to the execution of some legal process or to the discharge of any other legal duty;
  
  (3) when necessarily committed in retaking felons who have been rescued or who have escaped or when necessarily committed in arresting felons fleeing from justice;
  
  (4) when necessarily committed in order to prevent the escape of a felon from any place of lawful custody or confinement.
  
  http://www.conwaygreene.com/nmsu/lpext. ... -h.htm&2.0

On this basis I contend Obama, upon the expiration of his term, should be indicted, tried and imprisoned for Accessory to Murder by the State of New Mexico.

[Pirlo]

Awlaki was bloody extremist! He had issued a fatwa stating "you have the permission to kill any American with no need to verify, you do not need to make sure it's ok to kill the demon." though I'm not sure what kind of American he gave permissions to kill. (civilian/military... not sure).....

And you read this "fatwa" where? I suppose you are an expert at the Arabic language. Many things get mistranslated. The way one thing is meant in one language, sometimes does not translate well in another language. Let's just get that straight.

And if these words were indeed meant as they are stated, how different is that from many Americans I talk to just here at home? I have heard many Americans say things like "Let's just drop a Nuke on the whole Middle East" or "Let's just kill all the Muslims". Do not tell me that you haven't heard similar speech? Hell, you probably use that type of speech all the time in your Paranoid Christian Cult Circle.

1. I'm not paranoid, and I don't look at people's differences because I believe in one human race, even if that can never work on this earth.

2. I don't care if he was muslim, christian or hell. he's extremist anyway.

3. apparently, I don't care about his nationality whether it was American, Yemeni or Indian; simply because I don't give a f*ck about any brand of nationalism myth.

4. I heard him saying the fatwa today afternoon when Al-Jazira mentioned his death and made a report about him. the fatwa was in Arabic. the translation in the above post is my own and I'm responsible for it. If you don't trust my translation, I understand that!

[Phatscotty]

They say don't pee in the pool because everyone has to swim in it. Here's what Obama did

[natty dread]

He had already chosen to become an enemy of the United States and had therefore effectively committed treason and/or renounced his citizenship.

Translation: he was the wrong colour so who cares.

[saxitoxin]

Even the Zionist media is now reporting Awlaki was fairly meaningless in overall AQ command. AQ CINC didn't trust him because he was American. He wasn't allowed into operational planning and the extent of his involvement was his podcasts and blog.

Curiously, while the Zionist military is saying that, Obama is saying this is "a major blow." Who is right, the Zionists or Obama?

http://www.debka.com/article/21350/

Meanwhile, the murder helped Obama's poll numbers tick up by 1%.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64877.html

• In other words, Obama just had someone executed without trial so he could look like a "tough" president going into an election. Someone was just killed for the Obama 2012 political campaign. Burning people alive is now a campaign tactic, just like putting up yard signs or dropping off pamphlets. Anyone who supports Obama campaign is, therefore, an affiliate of a criminal organization and bears the same guilt by association as any Fellow Traveler.

In the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti -

[neanderpaul14]

Good riddance.

[Pirlo]

Al-Awlaki praises Nidal Hassan and encourages all Mslim guys inside the US army to follow that dude and kill their own partners.

he also says that all American people are involved because they elected the US government, and provokes Muslim people to kill any American including civilians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdNwH1vvL_M

Obviously, this man was extremist and I, personally, see no reason to sympathize with him. not to mention he had violated his own religion which doesn't allow killing people.

Seriously saxi, why are you sympathizing him

[saxitoxin]

Al-Awlaki praises Nidal Hassan and encourages all Mslim guys inside the US army to follow that dude and kill their own partners.

he also says that all American people are involved because they elected the US government, and provokes Muslim people to kill any American including civilians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdNwH1vvL_M

Obviously, this man was extremist and I, personally, see no reason to sympathize with him. not to mention he had violated his own religion which doesn't allow killing people.

Seriously saxi, why are you sympathizing him

Wikipedia is not admissable in court.

When Tokyo Rose was arrested it was obvious to the world she was guilty of Treason. She was the most wanted American collaborator with the Japanese forces.Millions of people had heard her broadcasts. During the due process of investigation and discovery that only a deliberative trial can afford, however, she was ultimately exonerated, let free and even given a medal by a unanimous vote of the California Assembly.

There's a reason independent trials exist instead of the chief of police simply deciding guilt and imposing punishment at his whim. Death is the most permanent punishment that can be imposed. It needs to follow a full and open trial in which the accused has the opportunity to contest the charges, not be done based on YouTube videos and a gut feeling.

[Pirlo]

Al-Awlaki praises Nidal Hassan and encourages all Mslim guys inside the US army to follow that dude and kill their own partners.

he also says that all American people are involved because they elected the US government, and provokes Muslim people to kill any American including civilians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdNwH1vvL_M

Obviously, this man was extremist and I, personally, see no reason to sympathize with him. not to mention he had violated his own religion which doesn't allow killing people.

Seriously saxi, why are you sympathizing him

Wikipedia is not admissable in court.

When Tokyo Rose was arrested it was obvious to the world she was guilty of Treason. She was the most wanted American collaborator with the Japanese forces.Millions of people had heard her broadcasts. During the due process of investigation and discovery that only a deliberative trial can afford, however, she was ultimately exonerated, let free and even given a medal by a unanimous vote of the California Assembly.

There's a reason independent trials exist instead of the chief of police simply deciding guilt and imposing punishment at his whim. Death is the most permanent punishment that can be imposed. It needs to follow a full and open trial in which the accused has the opportunity to contest the charges, not be done based on YouTube videos and a gut feeling.

ok I give up... all I could do is to provide some info available in my language. If there are any extra info beyond the available stuff, then I definitely have no idea about.

Cheerz....

[rockfist]

My God...I am leaning toward siding with the Liberals on this one...Mainly because in any state controlled country with the threat of summary execution I would be a sure target as a micro government person.