Obama Finally Talks Drone War, But It’s Almost Impossible to Believe Him

President Obama doesn’t like to talk about how he uses drones to kill suspected militants — including American citizens. Explanations about who gets picked for remote-control death and who does the picking are left to underlings and aides. Just a few days ago, for example, Obama blew off a local Cincinnati television reporter who asked the president about his “kill list.”

On Wednesday, however, CNN’s Jessica Yellin managed to get Obama to open up, just a little, about his criteria for approving drone attacks. His comments may have been the president’s most extensive so far on robot warfare. They were also total baloney, outside experts say.

1 “It has to be a target that is authorised by our laws.”

2 “It has to be a threat that is serious and not speculative.”

3 “It has to be a situation in which we can’t capture the individual before they move forward on some sort of operational plot against the United States.”

4 “We’ve got to make sure that in whatever operations we conduct, we are very careful about avoiding civilian casualties.”

5 “That while there is a legal justification for us to try and stop [American citizens] from carrying out plots … they are subject to the protections of the Constitution and due process.”

And our Constitution?

that an American citizen is given the “protections of the Constitution” before he’s approved for unmanned killing — is dubious. Yes, there is a process that the White House uses to vet proposed drone targets. Several government officials review a suspected terrorist’s dossier before an attack on that person is okayed. This is an internal review by presidential aides, not subject to any kind of independent authority, and obviously not one in which a target’s representatives can contest the case. It’s enough to condemn someone to death. The Obama administration has argued that this is the same as the “due process of law” guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

Legal scholars have found the argument flimsy

Obama Finally Talks Drone War, But It’s Almost Impossible to Believe Him

I have huge reservations for a sitting President to have this much power.

Its laughable, his comments. Experts, and Legal scholars also figured out the half truths, with his double speak.


I also question WHY we need so many drones in our skies.

The American skies may soon be full of drones after it was disclosed that domestic law enforcement agencies – from the FBI to local police – have been granted permission to deploy the unmanned aircraft.

US skies to be full of drones

What does Obama know, that "We The People" don't?


ATS, Thoughts?

Tne biggest thing that peaves me off well a couple of things is that rendition was bad,waterboarding was bad, gitmo was bad.

But drone attacks is fine by him the anti war crowd put Obama in office and the dude has the highest record of drone attacks in the past 4 years and 8 years of the last guy.

Only a fool believes a word he says it is election time and the recent events just for poltical show because it polls good for him.

The record:
en.wikipedia.org...

That is Pakistan alone doesn't count the other countries

www.slate.com...

reply to post by neo96


Circumventing the Constitution, and Congress.

That is what this Personal "kill list" is. For anyone who believes its not, I would love to see the counter point to it.

Fact of the matter is this. Its TOO much power. I also wonder when someone will be brought down, in America, with a drone?

Supposedly Iran can hack drones and land them at will.

What is to stop anyone with the skills to hack them and have mini kamikaze drones dropping out of the skies?

I guess after something bad happens people will all but demand to pass whatever cyber security bills are proposed.

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by neo96

 

Circumventing the Constitution, and Congress.

That is what this Personal "kill list" is. For anyone who believes its not, I would love to see the counter point to it.

Fact of the matter is this. Its TOO much power. I also wonder when someone will be brought down, in America, with a drone?

I agree but it's Obama and as long as that D is by his name it is perfectly fine.

reply to post by cconn487


Scary thought, actually.


Having so many, flying in our skies in the near future, is something I wouldn't have thought possible, 25 years ago.

reply to post by neo96

I am against any drones in American Skies but the Drone Attacks in Pakistan have done an Incredible Job as far as not only Killing our Enemies but making it seem that the U.S. is always watching that Terrorist Groups of all names are finding it very hard to recruit.

Recruitment is at an all time low and this coupled with Democratic Revolutions in the Middle East have disenchanted possible recruits that might have joined a Terrorist Network. Former Terrorist recruits that have flipped have told our various intel agencies that Terrorist and Taliban Leadership are so busy watching the skies that they have become prisoners in their own compounds.

Add to this New Drones that are capable of flying over targets for DAY's only to be replaced by another have limited Terrorist activities such as Training to indoor facilities. It has also had the effect that when a Recruit sees Fear and Worry on the Faces of their Leaders that in turn allows for very little confidence in a Recruit who is listening to a terrorist Leadership Speech that is aimed at portraying the U.S. as Toothless or Claims of how the Terrorists will Bathe in American Blood...all the while...peeking out of Windows at the Sky or using Recruits to transport written letters for communication with other leaders since they are afraid to use Cell Phones as the Drones can intercept the signals and send a Missile to follow the Cell Phone Transmission right to both source and receiver.

The U.S. has killed almost every High Level Terrorist on the list and quickly has killed their replacements. So Drone activity has done much to suppress the enemies ability to do much of anything. Split Infinity

Originally posted by neo96



I agree but it's Obama and as long as that D is by his name it is perfectly fine.

Lets just put it into Perspective then, shall we?




For those who stand blindly, pointing the finger at Republicans, daily.

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by neo96

 

I am against any drones in American Skies but the Drone Attacks in Pakistan have done an Incredible Job as far as not only Killing our Enemies but making it seem that the U.S. is always watching that Terrorist Groups of all names are finding it very hard to recruit.

WHY do we need 20k, In the skies of America?

Seriously, WHY? What purpose?

Something is a miss.

1 “It has to be a target that is authorised by our laws.”

What laws? Seems there is no due process, no evidence or proof of guilt required and also flies in the face of International law.

2 “It has to be a threat that is serious and not speculative.”

So some goat herder seen carrying a rifle from several thousand feet gets followed to a house that is then blown to pieces by a missile. Was he a serious threat, or was that just speculative?

3 “It has to be a situation in which we can’t capture the individual before they move forward on some sort of operational plot against the United States.”

So Abdul the goat herder is huddled in his little hut with the wife and kids, and maybe his next door neighbour plotting to attack America? Is he freakin' serious? This is laughable.... well it would be if there were not so many people being killed or maimed for just being "suspects".

4 “We’ve got to make sure that in whatever operations we conduct, we are very careful about avoiding civilian casualties.”

Yeah... well that's not going so well. It's easy to label them all "insurgents" or "terrorists" from a few thousand miles away, without any proof or anyone on the ground to confirm anything.

5 “That while there is a legal justification for us to try and stop [American citizens] from carrying out plots … they are subject to the protections of the Constitution and due process.”

Excuse me! Didn't the PATRIOT act and more recent acts pretty much get rid of the need for any oversight or due process?

The man (and I use the term loosely) is a deranged butcher, and so are all the other politicians and military dickheads who support such action and try to then hide behind the lawyers.

Originally posted by sonnny1

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by neo96

 

I am against any drones in American Skies but the Drone Attacks in Pakistan have done an Incredible Job as far as not only Killing our Enemies but making it seem that the U.S. is always watching that Terrorist Groups of all names are finding it very hard to recruit.

WHY do we need 20k, In the skies of America?

Seriously, WHY? What purpose?

Something is a miss.

Department of Homeland Security needs something to pass the time I guess

reply to post by sonnny1

I am sorry...20k as in Kilometers or 20,000...what are you asking?
Split Infinity

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
reply to post by sonnny1

 

I am sorry...20k as in Kilometers or 20,000...what are you asking?
Split Infinity

The FAA estimates (pdf) that within the next 15 years, more than 20,000 drones will take to the skies in the U.S., including drones operated by police, military, public health and safety agencies, corporations, and the public in general. That number is expected to jump to 30,000 within 20 years from today — a number the FAA refers to as “relatively small.” Currently, the FAA has only given out about 300 licenses to fly drones capable of cruising at more than 400 feet in the air.

Drones: 13 things you need to know from Congress’s new report

reply to post by Britguy




NO ONE in that Position, should have that much power. It goes against the Constitution.

President Øbama is soon to receive the Egyptian President at a White House meeting & dinner...

maybe the Chameleon-In-Chief will pump the Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi
for the identities of the Libyan Embassy killers and body desecrators...


Naw, Øbama's agenda is to assist Sharia Law & Salafist ideology to replace the Constitution under the guise of collective appeasement instead of righteous indignation at lawlessness disguised behind religion


He will use the tracking of the Libya perps as a means to tighten the spying & tracking of the Homeland population, even to the point of slaying those persons-of-interest by Homeland Dept. Drones

reply to post by sonnny1

WHY do we need 20k, In the skies of America? 

Seriously, WHY? What purpose? 

Something is a miss.

Why do they really need armored personnel carriers? This is all part of the militarization of our police forces. I don't think it will be long before these drones over American skies are armed. 

The most ironic thing to me is that the government and LE will spend so much money for tools to crack down on American citizens yet our borders are virtually wide open and criminals enter freely. 

I can't imagine people constantly plotting to attack war hungry America, they should know by now that the US specializes in being up people's asses in an instant.

For your morning coffee

reply to post by seabag


Our borders mean nothing to them.

The monitoring of American Citizens, is obviously, the next step.

Too much hardware, to think otherwise.

They messed up when they put missiles on the drones.

If they put directed energy weapons on the drones they could zap people and NOBODY would know where it came from.

The only reason this is even being discussed is because they are using missiles. You have no idea how many Americans or foreigners get zapped every single day.....somebody can play God with the technology at their fingertips and the worlds none the wiser. "Oh no it's the rapture".....nope BZZZT.....another bug zapped via point and click warfare.