Obama personally oversees Al-Qaeda ‘kill list’

The mug shots and brief biographies resembled a high school yearbook layout. Several were Americans. Two were teenagers, including a girl who looked even younger than her 17 years.

“How old are these people?” he asked, according to two officials present. “If they are starting to use children,” he said of Al Qaeda, “we are moving into a whole different phase.”

Dennis C. Blair, director of national intelligence until he was fired in May 2010, said that discussions inside the White House of long-term strategy against Al Qaeda were sidelined by the intense focus on strikes. “The steady refrain in the White House was, ‘This is the only game in town’ — reminded me of body counts in Vietnam,” said Mr. Blair, a retired admiral who began his Navy service during that war.

www.nytimes.com...

US President Barack Obama has personally overseen a top-secret process for determining which Al-Qaeda suspects should be placed on a “kill list,” the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The Times, citing dozens of top officials and former advisers, said the administration had developed what it termed the “kill list” as part of a stepped-up drone war against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Pakistan and Yemen.

The Times described the top-secret process, which begins with some 100 counter-terrorism officials sifting through biographies and “nominating” suspects in Yemen and Somalia to be added to the kill list during a secure video conference run by the Pentagon.

The CIA carries out a separate process for suspects in Pakistan, it said.

“One guy gets knocked off, and the guy’s driver, who’s No. 21, becomes 20?” the Times quoted Daley as saying. “At what point are you just filling the bucket with numbers?”

www.rawstory.com...


So 100 counter-terrorism officials who job only exists if they continue to kill terrorist targets sit around an nominate people for death? Then Obama approves each one from some mug shots and a brief biography? If everyone can be labeled a terrorist and killed immediately, when does it stop? NEVER

reply to post by RealSpoke


I just read a post about Australia changing laws making it easier for America to extradite Australians based on online activity. The world has become like a dystopian novel.

Obama is a very scary person.

I don't, and won't ever, understand why people look down on the president for making these decisions. Those of you in the military know that sometimes you gotta kill a few to save many. These bastards kill dozens of innocent people everyday who are driving, shopping, walking, playing. Okay so the president orders them dead. Whats the down side? Let him do what he needs to do.

Originally posted by theirtruthlies0806
I don't, and won't ever, understand why people look down on the president for making these decisions. Those of you in the military know that sometimes you gotta kill a few to save many. These bastards kill dozens of innocent people everyday who are driving, shopping, walking, playing. Okay so the president orders them dead. Whats the down side? Let him do what he needs to do.

Have you read how many innocent people have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan?

Alot.

It sounds a bit strange that he is micro-managing to the level of final selection.

I thought his reelection campaign team was responsible for those decisions.

reply to post by RealSpoke


As a former Soldier, I always believed in trying to capture the target rather than blowing them to kingdom come, though sometimes that is called for while in combat.

A enemy combatant who is alive can give valuable intel which can be used for later strikes/captures and help prevent other attacks.

Dead men tell no tales.

Snatch and grab Ops used to be commonplace, not so much anymore. There's even been news articles on it. Just Google "Obamas Drone War".

Whether we capture or kill our enemies, we will still be angering some one on the other side. Regardless, they fear capture more than death.

reply to post by RealSpoke


It's American Idol.



I honestly wonder if Obama enjoys this.

Really.

He's choosing characters for one of his many post-presidency books.

The chapter right after the OBL killing is very important to the plot of the story, so I don't blame him for wanting to control the selection process.

Spoiler alert: There's a twist at the end of the chapter involving a guy named "Alan Kayda"

reply to post by TDawgRex


There seems to be no interest in gathering human assets by this administration. Perhaps he has been charged with cutting the strings so that he can close this chapter. Not the Obama that people thought he was. I guess he would rather assassinate than water board. Yemen is full of targets these days..

In the last decade this country went from gathering intel to just out right murder. Reminds me of Johnson's micromanaging Vietnam so there is precedent, and to true anyone can be put on a "kill list" and the decision made will be based off a picture, and a brief summary of "how evil that person" might be.

Having a kill list should never be an option, but this is rather par for the course considering the Potus has is civilian "enemy list" here on those who do not tow the administration line.

Pure fascist.

If anyone was paying attention during the wikileaks security breach they would not that not only is this not new news but we also have the name of the unit that is conducting these operations. The list is being referred to as the “Jpel” list and a mostly American special forces joint task group known as TG-373 have been carrying out “Jpel” operations inside Afghanistan for quite some time.

Here is some further information for those who are interested.

www.guardian.co.uk...

Originally posted by Germanicus

Originally posted by theirtruthlies0806
I don't, and won't ever, understand why people look down on the president for making these decisions. Those of you in the military know that sometimes you gotta kill a few to save many. These bastards kill dozens of innocent people everyday who are driving, shopping, walking, playing. Okay so the president orders them dead. Whats the down side? Let him do what he needs to do.

Have you read how many innocent people have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan?

Alot.

Great number, chief. you really know how to win a debate. You also have to realize that pakistan has been state-sponsoring terrorism for decades now. Not to mention that they knew Bin-Laden was there the whole time and didn't show the common decency and respect to tell us about it. We lost 3000 people on 9/11, not to mention 1000+ troops and civilians on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, because of their unsecure (or OPEN border for terrorists) border. They allowed plenty of insurgents into that country. Do not start with me.

reply to post by theirtruthlies0806


The president should never have this power. He can kill you legally, you realize this right?

I guess you still buy into the whole war on terror is a real thing joke. We gave Libya over to Islamist extremists and known terrorist groups. The USA could care less about actual terrorism.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


While I know that this isn't "new" news. The NYT article is new and I thought it was well written/interesting in itself.

I watched this earlier today -

Judge Napolitano - discussing Obama's kill list - he says Congress should do something about it

This is excellent. Everyone should watch it.

Originally posted by RealSpoke


The president should never have this power. He can kill you legally, you realize this right?

I guess you still buy into the whole war on terror is a real thing joke. We gave Libya over to Islamist extremists and known terrorist groups. The USA could care less about actual terrorism.

True. Very true. The president can now jutify murder, ignore the 5th Ammendment and kill American citizens without legal recourse.

And our "congress" is too spineless to do anything about it.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Great vid, found a youtube version

simply my observation but it wouldn't be too hard to link someone with AlQaeda, nor would it be to set them up...

justifying a kill list in the process..

reply to post by theirtruthlies0806


and America is allowing the cartels to operate here. how is that different? are you saying that our gubment is justified?

reply to post by RealSpoke

He can kill you legally, you realize this right?

It’s really not quite as simple as that, the legal justification for these operations is very complex covering both domestic and international law. First of all it is important to realise that executive order 12333, which prohibits American sanctioned assassination is still applicable and in force. However during the Clinton administration following the attacks on the American embassies the language used was somewhat relaxed to make possible the “targeted killing” of terrorist suspects.

There is a difference between “targeted killing” and “assassination”, assassination usually refers to the act of murder of individuals by some kind of covert means usually as part of some kind of political agenda (the exact definition is a legal and academic midfield.). Assassination is still outlawed in America, however targeted killing is not seen as assassination because it is a killing that America argues has taken place in an act of self-defence. It can simply be put as an act of self-defence, much like a sniper on the battle field shooting at the enemy who is setting up a mortar firing position.

For me the logic that the Americans have applied hear is still tantamount to being wrong unless they know in advance that the individual being targeted for killing is planning an attack. I find it very hard to believe that it is possible they have this type of intelligence for every drone attack and therefore it is inevitable that some of these attacks are state sanctioned assassination in the guise of targeted killing.

Like I have said the entire issue around “targeted killing” is a legal mess but fundamentally POTUS does not have the authority to say “Bob down the road is to be killed by a drone”, it really is not a simple as that.