Pentagon Says U.S. Citizens With Terrorism Ties Can Be Targeted In Strikes -- At War
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration’s top Pentagon lawyer on Wednesday said that American citizens who join Al Qaeda can be targeted for killing and that courts should have no role in reviewing executive branch decisions about whether someone has met such criteria.
“Belligerents who also happen to be U.S. citizens do not enjoy immunity where non-citizen belligerents are valid military objectives,” said Jeh C. Johnson, the Defense Department general counsel, in a speech at Yale Law School.
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Update #1: In Speech, Top Pentagon Lawyer Defends Targeted Killing Program -- NPR
Update #2: U.S. Defends Targeted Killings -- Wall Street Journal
Update #3: DoD chief attorney plugs public service -- Yale Daily News
WNU Editor: Jeh Johnson's speech at Yale's Law School is here.
As to what is my take on his speech .... in short, what was unthinkable ten years ago is now .... policy .... and under a Democrat administration to boot.