Death by Presidential Order

Conor Friedersdorf asks about the president’s kill list, drones, and Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, 16 years old and an American citizen, who was the son of the late Anwar al-Awlaki, who was also born in America, who was also an American citizen, and who was also killed by drone.  There is a justification on video by Robert Gibbs that is tough as tough.  What do we think about this?

Maybe in a war with an enemy who is dispersed and covert all of this is justified.  I think Friedersdorf asks the right questions when disputing the justification.  The president is killing American citizens by fiat.  He is killing all sorts of people by drone, but we will focus here as even traitors deserve due process, don’t they?  In this case, of the son, surely the sons of traitors are not automatic targets of civilized people.  If the story Friedersdorf references, by Tom Junod , is true, then this appalling and, yes, impeachable.

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