So my Halloween message didn’t scare you? How about this?
Quoting from Fox News–
…a declaration of war marks a situation wherein assassination is not prohibited by domestic law, because war itself necessitates directed violence by whatever means available. In other words, in times of war, ‘assassination’ is permissible. In addition to the permissibility of assassination in wartime, the intentional killing of a wrongdoer as an act of necessary and proportional self-defense is not considered “assassination,” by definition.
There’s the set-up we already allow assassination sometimes. It goes on
But why must we wait until our citizens are attacked on our soil to dispose of imminently dangerous terrorists? Umm because they’re innocent until proven guilty, so we can’t kill them till they do something? Or are U.S. citizens the only ones with that basic human right?
The Terrorist Elimination Act responds to this problem.
In the latest incarnation of legislation to repeal the ban, Rep. Terry Everett, an Alabam Republican, introduced a bill called the “Terrorist Elimination Act of 2003.” Everett’s legislation asserted that the assassination prohibitions, including Executive Order 12333, “limit the swift, sure, and precise action needed by the United States to protect our national security.” It goes on to state that “present strategy allows the military forces to bomb large targets hoping to eliminate a terrorist leader, but prevents our country from designing a limited action which would specifically accomplish that purpose.” Uh, yeah. “Limit” is what it’s for. As in, let’s limit personal vendettas like Bush going after Saddam. Osama still don’t live in Iraq.
The legislation would lift the ban on the assassination of terrorist leaders who pose a direct threat to national security, yet who have not committed a direct act of terrorism against the U.S. A change in this policy would allow intelligence and military communities to act quickly and decisively to stop terrorists before they are able to inflict harm upon the nation.
Intelligence and military communities to act quickly and decisively? On their own? Or would it be the president making the final decision?
Anybody trust Bush with this? Anyone at all?
Exactly what are you smoking?