Some senators are raising the roof, even though it's under the purview of the current Democratic Administration.
Imagine that.
Democratic Senator Questions Administration's Drone Program
npr.org -- February 05, 2013
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is one of eleven senators who are demanding more details about the administration's drone program. He has indicated he may hold up the confirmation the president's nominee to run the CIA over the issue. Robert Siegel speaks with Wyden about his concerns.
Listen to the Story --
All Things Considered
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is one of 11 Senators who demanding more details about the program.
Senator Wyden:
[...] the bottom line is, that the Administration is essentially telling Congress and the American people, "Just trust us."
I just don't think that's the standard for 'Oversight.'
And I think also there is a public 'right to know' here.
The American people have a 'right to know' when their Government believes that they can kill an individual as part of one of these operations.
Wrong is wrong. Scary is scary. The Law upholds principles
that used to guarantee Americans
"due process."
Well not always. Principles can be stretched to their breaking points, given time. And enough absence of 'Oversight.'
There is some sort of moral imperative that has been crossed here. Some sort of line, that is far too hazy and ill-defined.
Senator Wyden once again, tries to bring for some moral clarity to this ongoing Bush-Cheney Rubicon, as part of his responsibilities as a member of the Intelligence Oversight Committee.
Ron Wyden Pushes Obama On Drone Memo
by Igor Bobic, talkingpointsmemo.com -- February 5, 2013
[...]
"Every American has the right to know when their government believes that it is allowed to kill them," Wyden said. “The Justice Department memo that was made public yesterday touches on a number of important issues, but it leaves many of the most important questions about the President’s lethal authorities unanswered.
Questions like
‘how much evidence does the President need to decide that a particular American is part of a terrorist group?’,
‘does the President have to provide individual Americans with the opportunity to surrender?’ and
‘can the President order intelligence agencies or the military to kill an American who is inside the United States?’
[Questions like these] need to be asked and answered in a way that is consistent with American laws and American values."
[...]
Osama bin Laden is dead -- yet the moral
crusade extermination campaign he ignited, is far from it.
When and where will this insanity frenetic activity ever end? Justice for 9/11 has been done. Osama bin Laden is dead. Most of his henchmen too.
You just can't win a war against an idea ... against a philosophy that has no borders.
It was true for Bush and Cheney. And it is still true now.
Enough. Claim Victory. Protect the borders. Comb the airways. Arrest and convict and jail the bad guys.
Stop reigning down nameless, faceless terror from above. Raining down our brand of death and destruction on our "suspected enemies" and their hapless neighbors. Suspected of the intent to commit crimes, maybe, could be, against us ... someday.
Those Drone strikes will show them. And all who once knew them. Their bad thoughts and ill-intent will end there, in the dust. Until their relatives learn of the collateral damage we sent their way ... Ill-intent will then be born anew. A dozen times over.
You just can't kill everyone ... who doesn't like America.
We just don't have enough bombs. Or enough lawyers.