Interesting news out of Yemen, where an US-born al Qaeda teleterrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed by US forces, likely a Predator drone aircraft. al-Awlaki was able to use his native English to spread his cause over the Web and inspired more than one American jihadi, including the Fort Hood shooter.
I don't have a problem with unmanned drone aircraft doing the shooting; it does make things a bit antiseptic for our side and a bit less gallant, but if the pilot can be doing the job from an office complex in Nevada, more power to 'em.
What is novel is that we've essentially put out a extrajudicial hit on Anwar al-Awlaki. There doesn't seem to be much doubt that he'd be up for either life in prison or a trip to Jack the Dripper had he been hauled to justice. It's not something that is good for a country that thrives on the rule of law to be shelving such principles on a global battlefield.
However, it is a battlefield, albeit an unconventional one. A missile strike delivered some rough justice without putting US or Yemeni troops at harm's way; if you're more of a pacifist or more of a legal purist, that is too rough, but a constitutional law prof turned president signed off on the policy.
It will be interesting to see if this gets anyone into the Democratic nomination race.
It will be interesting to see if this gets anyone into the Democratic nomination race.
Cindy Sheehan? Michael Moore? Ibrahim Hooper?
Posted by: Alan K. Henderson | October 02, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Moore's too busy cheering on the Wall Street squatters, and I thought they had a funeral for Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street;-).
Posted by: Mark Byron | October 03, 2011 at 05:37 PM