Obama the decider: Who lives, who dies, who cares about due process?
November 30, 2012 by Bruce Wallace, 121Contact
We base our authority for targeted killing on an outdated document, the Authorization for Use of Military Force [AUMF], created in the panic that consumed us directly after 9/11. Not even in that heightened state of fear did we authorize killing just about anybody we thought might be a threat to us, and yet that is what the Obama administration is doing today.
The September 12, 2001 White House draft of the AUMF gave the President two new tools:
1- the right to take military action against those involved in some notable way with the September 11 attacks on the U.S., and
2- statutory authority “ to deter and pre-empt any future acts of terrorism or aggression against the United States.”
Even in those chaotic times the Congress was wise enough to eliminate the second power. It was deemed too broad. "if other states were to claim the broad-based authority that the United States does, to kill people anywhere, anytime, the result would be chaos." [Council on Foreign Relations]
"those involved" is no longer the basis for our targeted killing. We now target groups that didn't even exist in 2001. Some targets not only don't belong to Al Qaeda, but don't belong to any known group. We target groups that appear to be "acting suspiciously", even if they have no connection or intent related to the United States, and even if we have no proof of any malicious intent at all.
In short, we have unleashed an ineffective [see previous posts, below] killing machine that is far outside any Rule of Law considerations.
We urge sensible members of Congress, as the AUMF is being re-evaluated, to curb President Obama's desire, without benefit of due process, to decide who lives or dies.
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